Dawson's Day

Dawson's Day challenge...take flowers to a parent spending the day at the hospital with their child!
(Read on to learn the story behind this challenge.)

Today is a day that I know is a  VERY HARD one for my amazing friend Amy and her husband Ryan.  Today marks one year since their sweet little Dawson went back to be with our Heavenly Father.  You can read all about him HERE!

Although I wasn't lucky enough to know Dawson well, I have grown to love him through Amy's blog and the influence he continues to be on his amazing family.  I have had quite a few conversations with Amy over the last few months about how much she has been dreading this day.  She can't believe she has survived a whole year without her little angel.  I was was planning to take her flowers and kidnap her for lunch to make sure she laughed on this hard day and knew how strong she is.  Well, it was a SAD day last month when she let me know that her family would be moving the following week.

Amy is an amazing friend and a strength to me, especially over the last few months as we have become better friends.  I have thought and thought about what I could do for her on this difficult day now that she lives hours away.  As I laid in bed yesterday morning, the idea came to me of what I needed to do.  During Dawson's short five years, Amy and Ryan spent countless hours in the hospital with their precious little guy.  Since I can't personally deliver flowers to Amy, I figured I would honor her and Ryan and their amazing dedication to Dawson by taking those flowers to another parent that is spending time with their child in the hospital.  Another mother/father that needs to know about their story of strength and dedication.

So today I am on my way to buy flowers I would have loved to take to Amy and will be driving to our little hospital.  I called to see if there were any parents there with a child but with the small local hospital the only children in the hospital are the infants in the OB ward.  So...I will be delivering Amy's flowers to a parent that is beginning a new adventure.  I will be including Amy's blog link on a card as well.  My hope is that they will feel the strength of Amy & Ryan and the love of Dawson.  

I challenge anyone reading this to join me today in the first 'Dawson's Day'.  Go buy some flowers and take them to a parent that is spending the day at the hospital with their child.  Share the link to Amy's blog so they too can be strengthened by Dawson's story.  Today is a hard day but let's make it a day to share and celebrate the love and strength of an amazing family!

I love you Amy.  Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration to me and so many others.  I know that Dawson is grateful to have you as his mom and proud of who you are.  I am lucky to call you my friend!

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UPDATE... 

I wanted to find some pretty sunflowers or pansies (just for you Ryan...haha) but we don't have a very big selection here.  When my Cambo-man grabbed these and excitedly said that "Mallory would LOVE these ones!" I knew we had the winners.  How could I argue with that?  He and Mallory (Dawson's twin sister) are the funniest little friends.  I have to say he made for the cutest delivery guy I could imagine!  We left them with the nurses to decide who gets to be the lucky mom.  It was fun to share a quick version of the delivery purpose with the nurses as well.

I got text from Amy a couple hours ago that some of her friends are joining in and were headed to a hospital with flowers.  I LOVE IT!  It would be fun to know how many deliveries will be made for Dawson's Day but the important thing is that love is being shared all over today...and that's exactly how it should be!