Gratitude and Appreciation

As we launch our cookbook we as a family are grateful to so many for all of the love and support that has been given to us. It is stressful to have a child who is not healthy with all of the added doctor visits, time and energy required. Adding extraordinary medical bills on top, just makes an already hard situation even more crushing. I am thankful to family, friends, and total strangers for sharing love, generosity, and encouragement in times when we could not see our way clear of the hardships we were encountering.

People like Linda and Garry Breitbach, Diane & Keith Gregor (as in Gregor’s Garden Grove in West Seneca) and Alberta & Paul Roman are just a couple of the names that pop into my mind who have contributed remarkably to helping us overcome tremendous problems. Gratitude hardly seems strong enough to capture our deep appreciation to the hundreds of people who have supported us. In our great nation, every thirty seconds someone goes bankrupt due to medical bills according to the AARP. We are thankful that we have missed that arrow.

My personal philosophy has always been that God only gives you what he knows you can handle. But the addendum to that is God gives you a problem so you can use it to contribute to others. And I would like nothing more than that. My mission is to use what we have been through starting with food to empower others. And those of you who know me personally know that I have a personal commitment to alter the future of health care for the better. What else would you do given the same circumstances?

It is my personal vision to create the partnership of millions of Americans to cause a new future in health care. That is what enables me to get up out of bed in the morning, despite very difficult circumstances, and be in action. I want a new future for my three children – a better world. It is humbling to say the least to have overcome such difficulties. It is inspiring to be working to alter the future for the better. Gratitude and appreciation have helped me survive and move forward. What are you grateful for today? Who do you appreciate?

Many, many blessings to each and every one of you.
Love,
Lisa