9 months. As a mom, the time frame of 9 months always seems significant to me. It’s how long it took me to grow an amazing, beautiful, and in my opinion, perfect little boy. Nine months of my body working around the clock to create another life. This still amazes me. I mean, can you really accomplish anything greater than that in just 9 months? I just don’t think it’s possible.
This got me thinking. It’s been 9 months since I decided to follow my heart and start Kids Boost. Nine months ago, I started my initial fundraising campaign. I was blown away by the generosity of friends, family and even strangers. I still get emotional when I think about people handing over their hard-earned money because they believe in me and my mission. I look back at the last 9 months, I realize what a roller coaster it has been. There have been some unbelievable highs but some crazy, unexpected lows.
Just for example… After doing a little research on website design I budgeted a few thousand dollars, what I thought would be more than enough for a beautiful and functional site. I was wrong. Very wrong. Like, thousands of dollars wrong. Just when I thought I would have to settle for much less than I knew I needed, I got an email alert. A woman named Sitara donated exactly the difference that I needed to make the website happen. Crazy, right? And here’s the best part… I’ve never met Sitara. She’s a complete stranger who lives in Africa. She heard about my dream and wanted to help. Yep, this is what I refer to as a God moment.
I could write a novel on the ups and downs on the last 9 months. There have been moments of sheer bliss and moments of “what was I thinking?” If I am being completely honest, I will admit that I am not where I wanted to be in 9 months. I had dreams of having 50 plus kids signed up and donations pouring in. This is the big dreamer in me. I let fear paralyze me a little bit and self-doubt take over at times. Funny thing is though, right when this happens, something or someone comes along and BOOM… God Moment occurs. It’s funny how just a compliment can be the exact reassurance you need. Or how a $10 donation can mean the difference of a child meeting his goal. Or a shared Facebook post can introduce the Kids Boost concept to a stranger who now wants to be involved.
So as I sit here 9 months later, I am proud of my little Kids Boost baby. And I recognize that it’s just that… a baby. A small but meaningful thing that I get the privilege of growing and molding in the years ahead. I’m confident that there will be more ups and downs along the way. I will continue to learn so much about myself and the non-profit world. I will continue to be blown away by the generosity of people. Most of all, I will continue to be amazed at what kids can accomplish with just a little help and support.
Thank you to each person who has supported Kids Boost throughout the last 9 months. My hope and prayer is that your love and support will continue. Cheers to the next 9 months!
