As a communications specialist at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, I have the unique opportunity of curating and listening to your stories. Although there is a lot about them that inspires me, one thing that consistently strikes me is the level of love and appreciation you express for the people you care about.
No matter how hard you may fight, it is the family, friends and community standing alongside you that you often credit for where you are today. Romantic love is one potential outlet for support, but I have heard stories from members of the CF community about the everyday gestures of spouses, partners and significant others that truly put Hollywood blockbusters to shame.
So, in time for Valentine's Day, here is a round-up of our top three community blog posts that honor this idea of CF and romantic love.
Loving My Wife Was Worth Every Second
Close the door and get out the tissues because this one is a doozy. In this poignant post, Bradley Bjornstad explains why getting to fall in love with and marry his wife Kari was the greatest opportunity of his life.
After I read this post, I personally shared their engagement video with my friends and family, and probably listened to the romantic tune playing in the background (and their self-proclaimed love mantra) on repeat for three solid days -- which, speaking of love, only ended when my own partner begged me to stop in the name of love (just kidding … it was for his sanity).
I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't yet read it, but let's just say that this is one of the community blog posts that truly made me cry. In my opinion, that is saying a lot for a Foundation employee who is moved by the community's incredible stories every single day.
Walking the Line Between Husband and Caregiver
Eddie McKinnon and his wife Jennifer are a couple that amaze me. Not only have they known each other for most of their lives, but they also are the parents of two adorable twin girls.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be to juggle the multiple responsibilities of parenthood with CF, so having a strong relationship seems crucial in terms of balance and time management. In his post, Eddie describes the role he plays in his wife's care and the importance of sometimes taking a step back to simply enjoy their time together outside of CF -- a romantic reminder indeed.
When a co-worker first shared the story of Drew Dotson and her husband Ramon, I have to admit that my initial reaction was to pull out my phone and type up a note called “future wedding ideas.” Despite the fact that, at the age of 3, I decided I would never get married, Drew and Ramon's idea to have a passion fundraising event in lieu of a traditional wedding registry won my heart.
In her post, Drew describes meeting the man who would become her husband and deciding to create a wedding registry of “future memories.” In a world where I just spent $50 on cups from Anthropologie for my own friend's wedding and ordered a Valentine's Day present for my boyfriend on Amazon Prime, Drew reminds us all of what is important in life and love.
