With Gratitude, Dillon Let us GO!

This blog has been manifesting for quite sometime, the emotions to be expressed are so eminently raw. I have been drafting the post for months and I finally came to realization that it will never be perfectly expressed, so I might as well let it go... hmm the message of the entire post. Other posts have been fighting for their appearance, yet something kept holding me back, so here it is the long awaited message, with it a release! Now I can keep writing and sharing our story. 

It’s what I preach, “May you let it go!” With hope, I desire in my teachings of yoga to guide the soul thru a transformation of physically, mentally, and emotionally letting go. When teaching, I mindfully sculpt my words for others, to draw insights into a posture embracing openness, to allow space for vulnerability, to create awareness of the moment, to give way and honor weakness, and to meaningfully release. No matter how big or small the change, I strive for it to be an evolution, to exude a connection greater than within the individual themselves, beyond the mat and fellow yogis, impacting the greater good for our entire being. There may even be an echo in some’s ears (my husband’s) of my voice saying “May you let it go,” but have I over used this phrase with others in my defense of not letting go myself? It is not the easiest of things to do, letting go, but sometimes a fresh start is exactly what is called. On May 1^st, 2015 a community gathered, created an energy, and upheld a sanctuary, filled our family with endless gratitude and provided a space to gracefully let us go. 

Let’s briefly jump back to March 2015 a time when a community started forming a stronger bond. Individuals living in this small rural area created a conversation about a family, and spoke openly about the spark that lit their fire, Archer. Thoughts and prayers had been out floating around for some time now, and the amount of love being expressed for this little boy suddenly burst and turned into action! Citizens of the community became civically engaged for a greater good. Standing tall in the face of Archer. They shed their love, and made a decision to belong, to join hands and rally together for one single little boy’s journey. The call for action was out, and the date was set, May 1, 2015. 

Let me shine light upon my favorite board game as a child, yes actual pressed cardboard and game pieces that you physically had to move, the act of communally sitting, taking turns, and shouting in unison “Let our powers combine” “Go Planet!” Captain Planet, taught strong moral values, especially with the inclusion of Heart as the fifth acting element (representing love and communication, enabling the act of empathy). Dillon, MT is a community of Planeteers… Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, and Heart.

On that first day of May 2015. We were grounded, our feet were standing tall upon the earth, and mountains were moving. Being Dillon, the wind was gently kissing our faces most of the day, but miraculously, by evening had settled. Archer, our endlessly burning flame, arrived and lit the fire inside everyone’s heart. It was a party of heart and soul, one that so intensely held appreciation, you could feel the uplifting energy. Gratitude was intrinsically shared. All that came that night had the intention of arriving to give, to show kindness. This event created much more than giving of funds, it created a space inside each and every one of us. In this space we shed light upon the moment, we opened our hearts and became vulnerable to the expression of just how far gratitude could reach. The evening wrapped up with not rain pouring from the skies, but droplets of salty water rolling down the cheeks of so many supporters. In return that night, people received the gift of a full soul. We were saturated in a community that “let our powers combine!”

The event was titled ‘Archer’s Journey’ it wasn’t the beginning of his journey, more of a launching party to strengthen our souls, so we could successfully continue on the journey into finding movement and vision for our little boy. The gratification of the event reached beyond the meaning of Archer. It became a space where people came to give their appreciation for our involvement within OUR community. No one wanted to say it, but deep down could see it on the horizon, soon we would face our departure from this place of nurturing. That night the community of Dillon created the space and Let us GO. I will forever be grateful for all that I received from this soulful community. It was the combined support of all… your efforts of showing that you believed in me. I consider myself lucky to have called Dillon home for the last 10 years, it is from this community that I grew the strength inside of me to achieve my dreams and live in the moment. It was your dedication of actively participating in kissing the earth with your footprints! I planted seeds for my roots to grow, little did I know I was cultivating the skills I needed to be, not a typical mom, but one that creates a special path for my son to find his own way in life, follow his own timeline and teach him that we stand tall by his side and not in front of him, nor behind. Archer sealed the connection of our own family, we are the ABC Sparks’ and will forever call the community of Dillon, HOME. You all believe in us!

So, where has our journey lead us in the last 6 months? Our eagerness to educate ourselves about Archer took us in many different directions. We first made a road trip to Nebraska to visit family and attend the 3^rd annual CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) conference, held in Omaha, NE. We have ambitions of returning next summer, and I will be the opening speaker in 2017! Our second big trip, Archer’s 1^st plane ride, took us out to Vancouver, WA to attend a 3-day training on CVI with Dr. Roman the leading specialist in the country. Here we also had the opportunity to have Archer evaluated and assessed. This trip gave us the tools and knowledge we needed to ignite the use of Archer’s vision. Jumping into the New Year of 2016, Archer will become a Shriner’s kid, and get his spine and orthopedic support devices evaluated. Archer we begin exploring a new approach on movement, traveling to CA and partaking in a week long intensive therapy session with leading experts in neuro-movement. Following that weekend, he will participate as a demonstration child at a workshop for neuro-movement. In the Spring of 2016 we will be traveling to Pittsburgh, PA where we will again visit Dr. Roman, accompanied with a neonatologist, hopefully entering Archer into their global research project. Whew… That night on May 1^st you all showed me I had the power to dedicated myself to tirelessly advocating for my son, and to that I hold my actions to be true. Curve balls are thrown at us daily, we have learned to find the sweat spots and hit them out of the park, sometimes they turn up as foul balls, but we are seeing more homeruns, that’s the neurons igniting pathways and connecting with each other!! Much LOVE-C