I've known Jan for thirty years. We met as freshman in college and shared a dorm floor. She was a very busy person, often working multiples jobs to put herself through college. And yet, she still managed to maintain friendships. Since then she's married and divorced, has two wonderful daughters, and works as a school teacher with children who have special education needs.
However, Jan has been fighting an uphill battle over custody of one of her daughters—one that no mother should have to face alone. For the better part of a full year, she has been advocating for her daughter against a court system that seems to stretch things out endlessly, hoping she will give up because she cannot afford legal representation. But Jan hasn’t given up. Even when the weight of missing her daughter feels unbearable, even when her younger daughter cries for her sister, Jan keeps going. She feels overwhelmed, sometimes frozen in place by it all—yet still she gets up each day, goes to work, and makes a difference in young lives. She still clings to the hope that the justice system can do what it promises: deliver truth and fairness.
And as if that weren’t enough, Jan has endured heartbreak at her home too. Twice—two separate floods destroyed her house, wiping out precious memories, her side-hustle income, and what little reserve of will she had left. Most people would have crumbled under the weight of all this loss. But not Jan. She got back up. She kept moving forward, even when her feet felt heavy with grief.
Jan is the kind of person who gives even when she has little left to give. Now, she needs us. What would be really great is if we could help her—help lighten the load, help her keep believing in hope and fairness, help her know she’s not alone. Have you been in a life experience like this before? I sure have and you know who was there? Jan.
I believe that when we feel compelled to help, we should- and we need to now. Even the smallest contribution is a message that says: We see you, Jan. We believe in you. And we’re standing with you. You got this!
