stroll for epilepsy

Last year I couldn't really talk about it.

At least not comfortably or with people who were not close friends.

Sometimes, things take time.  To mull and settle.  I needed to process and wait and think, before I said much.

I wrote here about them.  About seizures.  But not too much.

This spring Jim and I had dinner with some friends who also have a son who sometimes has seizures.  It was the first time I felt comfortable speaking about it "at length" and "out loud".  And it felt good.

This week, we felt ready to take a walk.  A stroll to support research for epilepsy, and to join others who live with seizures in their midst, too.

There were teams in support of many beloved family members and friends.
Hannah's Bananas, Loving Chloe, Walking for Charlie, and on and on.

Superhero t-shirts representing regular people like you and me, who lead regular lives doing all the everyday things that make a life.  And people who also happen to have seizures as part of that life.

I was totally fine until we started driving up the winding road to Como Park and the t-shirts.  The people.  It was lovely and amazing, and overwhelming to me in some way that I can't quite understand.  Teary.  And that is when sunglasses are oh, so handy.  Private welling of tears with a nice smile on my face.

And our team:

You can hardly see us!  We are TEAM COWBELL.
Isn't that funny?!

It was a beautiful night.  We enjoyed a picnic on the sprawling green grounds of Como Park pavilion, listened to music, the girls decorated their faces with face paint and collected some new stuffed animals.  Great conversation with friends and a short 2-mile stroll around the lake.

A good time was had by all.  And it was inspiring, comforting and yes, fun to spend the evening together with good friends.  For a great cause.

And yes, we rang cowbells with gusto and glee!