“Work for a cause, NOT for applause. Live life to express, NOT to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.” – Unknown

I had never heard this quote until today…it brought me to tears! I don’t know if you have a Superman in your life, or maybe you just haven’t thought of someone that way, but I know that I do. Who is my Superman? Eddie Livingston. I’m sorry, let me rephrase, Super Eddie! I work for a non-profit, as many of you know, and, if you don’t, please check us out at http://www.COREgives.org and read Eddie’s story there. Let me start by saying that I love ALL of the children that we are able to support and they will all hold a special place in my heart for as long as I live. That being said, Eddie is different. I got the opportunity to meet Eddie and his beautiful family and gift them face-to-face. I have never had a more gratifying experience in my life. No one was there to see it but me, my Chairman and his beautiful wife, Santa and the Livingston family. There weren’t any professional cameras, there was no pomp and circumstance, no one really even knew I was there. We don’t do what we do for applause, we don’t do it to impress and we don’t strive to make our presence noticed. We do what we do for a cause, to express our love and support and to make our absence felt. I know that we accomplished that this past December in the Livingston home on a hot day with Santa and his “sleigh” (truck) at our side. That’s what it was about.

What I don’t think the Livingston family know is how much of an impact they had on me that day and still continue to have. I don’t think Eddie will truly understand what I have learned from him and his battle. I am FOR SURE that Eddie’s mother and father and siblings have no clue how inspiring their strength and spirit have been to me since that day. Eddie’s mother posted on Eddie “Superman” Livingston’s Facebook page today. The doctor said his scans were disappointing. My heart just melted. Not my Superman, that’s not fair. I can only hope for a cure to be found and for his health to improve, I can’t fix that for him. But I hope that I did do what I AM able to do. I hope that I expressed my love and support and gratitude as well as I possibly could. I hope that my absence, as well as the absence of my Chairman and his wife (and Santa) was felt shortly after we left the family’s home, and hope that for just thirty minutes the Livingston family was able to forget about their struggles and feel unconditional love and support.

I work for this cause because it completes me. It really does. I believe in it to my core (no pun intended) and I believe in my Superman and his family. A family so selfless, that while in the midst of their battle found the time to send ME a get well gift after my knee surgery. Eddie is a fighter and I have felt his absence since I walked out of his front door last December. I’ve learned more from a 4 year old and his spirit than I’ve learned from any class I’ve ever taken. I may have the opportunity to work for an official cause, but we can ALL work towards causes of our own that mean so much. And while CORE may work every day to help these children that truly need our support, I feel that I may be benefiting the most from these inspirational  individuals, their families and their stories. So, thank you! And beat cancer’s butt, Eddie!