Mustard Seed

While at CureFest last month in Washington D.C., I finally got to meet Mariah Forster Olson face-to-face. She and I have talked many times over the phone or video conferencing. She was one of the first Bell Asteri authors to sign a contract with me and she has already touched my heart and my life so much.

Because Mariah is such a kind and generous young woman who never seems to complain, it's almost easy to forget when you're with her that she is in constant, excruciating, debilitating pain. I almost forget she's in a wheel chair or using a cane because her personality takes over and you hardly notice she's physically bound to the aftermath of childhood cancer. You will learn more about this amazing woman when her book is released and you'll see what I mean.

Bill and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her in D.C., seeing firsthand how much strength and courage she has. Bill pushed that wheelchair all over town and Mariah fiercely advocated for children with cancer. It was awesome.

Mariah gave me a most precious gift, one I will cherish for the rest of my life. In the photo above, I am wearing it - a beautiful cross necklace with a tiny mustard seed inside. There are a couple of stories from the Bible where this smallest of seeds is used as an example. The power of that seed in a cross around my neck is not lost on me and the fact that it was given to me by such a strong, beautiful person makes it even more significant.

In the first mustard seed story, Jesus is saying that the mustard seed was the smallest seed, but that it grows into a huge plant or tree and this story is used to say that just because you are small or few in number, that doesn't mean you cannot and will not grow into a mighty flourishing plant and change the world.

In the other story, the mustard seed is used to explain something about faith. Even if your faith is tiny and as small as a mustard seed, with that small amount of faith, you can move mountains.

When I wear this seed, this is what it reminds me of:

• The childhood cancer community is small. There are thousands and thousands of kids diagnosed each year, but compared to other cancer communities, it is much smaller. It's much more cruel when a kid is sick and for the 1,800 of them who are killed by this cruel monster each year, their families are left to grieve for the rest of their lives. Kids deserve to be healthy and to grow up to become adults! What I noticed and loved about CureFest is that it brought the childhood cancer community together to storm our nation's capital so we could shout and force them to hear us. A tiny mustard seed grew into a huge tree that is growing in faith and boldness and this small group is so very mighty!
• My own faith to start a publishing company that puts a focus on childhood and young adult cancer. Additionally, my husband's faith to say "yes" and fund this project without hesitation, has blessed me beyond imagination. His passion for childhood cancer is deep and goes back many decades. We had no idea (and still have no idea) where all this might lead. We know we are tiny. We know we are a mustard seed. But our faith is strong enough to move mountains and our hope and prayer is that Bell Asteri Publishing will grow into a most beautiful and mighty tree. 
• My faith is what drives me. I definitely realize that not everyone in the childhood cancer community shares my Christian faith. In fact, I have often said that the thing about cancer is that it doesn't discriminate. It does not care about your age, race, gender, religion, socio economic background, politics, what language you speak, or where you come from. In fact, it doesn't even care if you're human as even our pets can get cancer. Since cancer doesn't discriminate, neither should we. I love how no matter our background, we come together in a spirit of unity in the childhood cancer community to bring it to an end. But for me personally, my faith which might sometimes be as tiny as a mustard seed, pushes me to diligently work to put a spotlight on kids with cancer and their families. I love that my necklace is a cross holding that seed so that when I wear it, I can remember why I fight.

Today is Sunday, October 16 and I am wiped out. This past week was absolutely amazing because I am working on four manuscripts to try to get these books out as soon as possible (without rushing because we want quality work). As I read these, I get all wrapped up in the stories. I cry. I laugh. I cry some more. I love the cancer community and I feel so very grateful to be part of it. May my faith get stronger and stronger and may Bell Asteri be just one more way for this community to share their stories and help bring an end to childhood cancer. Thank you, Mariah!