L1H1 Five Year Anniversary!

Reflections of the last five years

We've come a long way, baby!

It’s L1H1’s 5th Anniversary!!
As I gathered documents for sponsors/donors for our Pickleball tournament on Sunday, I noticed the date on our certificate of incorporation and realized it was July 15, 2017! Five years ago today! Wow! That calls for a celebration! Woo hoo!
As I reflect on the last five years with our little non-profit, I can’t help but think about why we started it, the people we’ve encountered because of it, the amazing support we’ve had and the things we’ve been able to accomplish 

​while still having FT jobs! It has been both rewarding and incredibly humbling! I am so thankful for our community and the encouragement we have received!
Shortly after our loss of Lauren, we experienced a number of other difficult losses, including a dear friend, my birth mother, and then my grief counselor passed away!
At the same time, we were on the sidelines as several other friends and family members experienced significant loss and we empathized deeply with their grief.
One of the turning points in my grief journey was being introduced by Kelly Funderburk to Robin Riley, who has been hosting a Mom’s group for 30+ years. She has been a guiding light for many of us Mom’s - showing us that their can be smiles and joy - even after such a significant loss!
Through this group, I also met and attended Bob Willis’s healing heart session where he sculpts a broken heart and talks about grief.
He shared that grief is on the inside, but mourning is when grief is expressed on the outside.
Matthew 5:4 says ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’
It does not say ‘those who grieve’ and keep it tucked in! That struck me and was a turning point in my grief journey.
I wanted to share his work with others experiencing similar loss and grief! That was the beginning of our efforts with L1H1 and it was healing for us to be able to provide that same help and support for others. We’ve sponsored Bob and his healing heart presentation numerous times over the years, through in person sessions, retreats, workshops and videos. Thank you Bob!!
Around the same time I was introduced to Bob, Lauren’s friends were getting married and having babies, which was very difficult, as anyone can imagine. But it occurred to me that if I continued to be sad through what should be joyous occasions, when would I ever feel joy again? I distinctly remember just before entering a baby shower for one of her close friends, making the decision to feel and be a part of the joyous celebration and although not without tears and many times, it’s bittersweet, embracing the good, happy and joyous times has made all the difference in the world!
In 2019, we held our first Celebrate Your Sibling run (in honor of Siblings Day) and began our Fostering New Memories program. Lauren’s dream, because she would not have been able to have kids, was to have a foster family. Unfortunately she did not get to fulfill this dream, but ironically, her childhood best friend happened to become a foster parent and eventually adopt four kids!
They were our first Fostering New Memories (FNM) recipient and enjoyed a week in Red River, NM, making new memories together! Since that time, we’ve also sent families to Santa Fe, NM and are working on our next two FNM recipient get aways!
One of the most important things we’ve realized during this process is that we are not alone in our grief and loss. Once you allow yourself to share your story, you learn that everyone has a story and no one is immune to loss. Death is a part of life. We have found our own healing in helping others and feel fortunate to have others come along side and join us in our efforts. Thus our short name Lose Someone Help Someone (L1H1) and tag line ‘grief support; healing through helping others’.
Happy 5th anniversary to L1H1 and a huge shout out to all of those who have been a part of our L1H1 journey! We thank each and every one of you!! Cheers!