Love For Nie

(entry from Stepper's journal, dated February 2, 2009 - Monday)

Tonight - thanks to a supportive husband and some car finagling (I hate having only one car) and a Grandma and Grandpa who were willing to watch a MonkeyFish for an evening - I was able to lend a hand and a whole lot of heart to the Benefit Concert for Stephanie Nielson.

Stephanie, her husband Christian, and a pilot who was also a family friend of theirs were in a terrible plane crash last August. The small personal plane crashed into a woodpile in someone's back yard. The pilot succumbed to his injuries in the days following the crash. Stephanie and Christian sustained massive third degree burns - Christian on 40% of his body, Stephanie 90%.

Christian became aware and began therapy weeks after the crash. Stephanie was in a medically induced coma for months. THey both had to have multiple skin graft surgeries. Major, major stuff.

Today, Stephanie is receiving care at home and is reunited with her loving husband and four small (and divine) children. The Benefit Concert (including a silent auction that I participated in) was singer/songwriter Mindy Gledhill's way of helping to pay for her friend's extensive hospital bills.

I made hot pads and aprons for the Auction (my first attempts with my new sewing machine! Couldn't be more pleased with where the efforts went!) and earned Stephanie a total of $70 with my goods donated. At the concert, I got to sit at a table and tell people to write down their names next to a number for the silent auction. I got to BE there, among all of the support, all of the stories, all of the love for NieNie.

I have never met StephaNIE NIElson (aka NieNie). Until tonight, I had never met her children or her sisters. But once upon a time I dated Christian's brother Stephen. That's how I found out about the crash. And that's how I found out about the nienie dialogues; Stephanie's blog about being a wife and mother, and loving and honoring every moment of it. I started at the beginning and read the entire blog - right up to the crash - and then started reading her sister's blog when she took in Stephanie's darling children while Stephanie slept.

The incredible rallying of prayers and support for the Nielsons has not just blessed their lives tremendously - it has also blessed mine. Someone they don't even know. The courage and faith of a family who gets it has been a wonder to behold. THIS is what it feels like to be engaged in a good work - Stephanie engaged with her unending service and creativity and saucyiness for her family - and then the rest of us, engaged (anxiously engaged!) in serving them - being allowed to serve, create, and be courageous (and saucy!) for her while she slept - and then woke to a world and a body changed.

Tonight, in a very real way, I got to be a part of that.

I held little Jane Nielson's hand as we looked for her sister Claire so they could watch the concert together. I held that little hand and was overwhelmed by the preciousness of the thing that held on to me so slightly and delicately as we walked - two red-heads from two different worlds - together searching to find a familiar face.

Picture of Jane taken from the nieniedialogues

When I deposited her safely with her sister, I wept - and I wondered at my tears. Such a small person to have to go through so much. And I realized how grateful I was - to Nie and to CJane - for sharing her Jane with the rest of us. So that we could know how precious. How we are all so small - and going through so much - but that like Stephanie, we can be courage and Faith - and have what CJane said Stephanie has spent her whole life trying to cultivate. Her grace.

I am grateful tonight to have been a part of it - in my very small way. I am grateful for how much of this story is now a part of me.

in a not very small way.

Love for Nie.