"Rise Above"

It was a Thursday night in the Mile High City. The town on the verge of Nuggets’ mania as the home town boys jumped to early lead against the Lakers in Game Six from Pepsi Center. I posted this to Facebook fellows:

Might be one of those nights when Kobe, despite being sick as a dog, comes up with one of those gutty big games. That's what superstars do, rise above. It's true whether we're talking in basketball and beyond - home, work and elsewhere. Sorry, could resist. Thanks for letting me vent.:)

Ultimately, Kobe did have a good game, scoring 31 points, but the Nuggets won to force a decisive seventh game in a series the Lakers eventually prevailed. But this Pep Talk ain’t about basketball, it’s about rising above.

Sure easy to talk about ain’t it? Yeah, we can lay out the game plan for dealing with life’s challenges easily. It’s the execution of the game plan that gets tricky. This past week Mac and Doog hosted, along with Wystone’s Teas - great spot in Belmar - a fundraiser for the WilLiv Center and its founder, Marla Swanson.

Life has thrown this fabulous lady several “What the heck is going on around here” moments. However, there’s resolve buried in her bones to try like heck to rise above - to use personal pain to promote progress for others. A few years back, the stay-at-home mom with two kids had the rug pulled from beneath when hubby decided marriage wasn’t his cup of tea. He disappeared from the family’s life.

Marla’s world was rocked. For whatever reason, something inside whispered, “Rise above.” In 2007 Swanson founded the WilLiv - a blending of son Will and daughter Olivia’s first names - Center. The non profit’s mission is to help single moms and their kids thrust unexpectedly into one of those “WTH?” moments.

WilLiv has helped many women and families over the years. It needs our help today. It’s founder, the beloved Marla, has tongue cancer. Doctors told her, “cut it out.” She queried, “Are there any other options?” There have been but they’re experimental, expensive and uncertain. Marla’s trying like heck to rise above right now but it’s damn tough. She’s lost all her money, most of her weight but little of her hope.

She’s turned lemons into margaritas before and is trying like heck to prevail again. You might be in the same boat right now. The challenge might be physical, emotional or financial, who knows. The venues change but the strategy remains the same: rise above.

It might be beneficial to rally with like-minded people at this time. Encourage - give hope and confidence to - one another to burrow deep into our soul’s for the perseverance to rise above the fray.

Good luck!