Friday Night Carbo Load

Let me tell you all about this amazing group of people. Actually, it's a safe bet most of the people reading this know all about them. Seeing as you probably are the very people to whom I refer.

Up until the other night I had only experienced a Friday night pasta dinner when it was followed by a Saturday football game. Unbelievable is the only word I can come up with now that I have the experience of Molly's Pasta Benefit.

First, there are the wonderful people from The Bridge Academy. These folks came up with the idea, planned the whole thing, spread the word, cooked the food, arranged the tables...on and on. They did a tremendous amount of work. I couldn't possibly try to name them all, and if I did I would miss some people. So if you helped in any way to make Friday night such an amazing event, you know who you are, and we are deeply grateful.

Then there are all the people who attended. We put a guest book at the door to try to get as many people to sign it as possible, but by the time we got there the room was practically full. At 6:15 I'd guess there were nearly 100 people there. By 6:45 the parking lot was full and additional tables were being brought in. Most people say they're no good at this but I can safely estimate, within a few either way, that there were a whole bunch of people there.

And finally there were the thoughtful people who, though they were unable to attend, sent their generous gifts and kind thoughts to us anyway. We can't thank you all enough.

The amazing thing about it was that I didn't even know half the people there that night. I knew my friends and family, the folks from my office, and most of the Bridge people. But those people invited other people, some people read about it in our church bulletin, others just saw the signs and fliers out and around. The compassion people have for other people, when they're faced with adversity, is truly astounding.

I didn't get a chance to say anything while we were all there, but I did have notes written on a card in my pocket just in case. If I'd ended up addressing the group I would have said something like this [liberally translated from the notecard that I wouldn't have used because I like to speak without notes]:

People are always telling us how good we look considering what we're going through. They tell us they're impressed by our fortitude. We inspire them. The simple fact is that we don't know any other way to act. And we thrive on the energy we get from one another. But what you all couldn't possibly know is this: without the love and support we get from our friends and family - all of you out there - on a daily basis, we would never have the strength to be there for one another when we need it most. So thank you all for giving us the ability to do what we do.

I swear, it's on a notecard. I'll show it to you if you want.

The entire event was incredible. It was eye-opening. It was inspirational. Aside from all that, there were some excellent little sidebars that made me really happy. I am sure Erin has her own. Those of you who were there may have your own as well. But here is a quick list of things that made me jump back, in no particular order:

One of my buddies came out on a train from NYC, straight from work, still in his suit. He stayed for one drink and some food, and 45 minutes after arriving was on a train back to the city.

Another buddy drove all the way from north Jersey, alone, knowing no one other than Erin and me, with an 18 month old and a 6 month pregnant wife at home. He stayed for an hour and headed back north.

The placemats on each table housed business cards/logos of people who sponsored the event. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed one I recognized. One of my roommates from high school, though he couldn't be here, was thoughtful enough to partially sponsor the dinner from all the way down in Louisville.

A woman I waited tables with in 1996 was there with her husband and two adorable children. The event was at her husband's fire house and they saw the sign and wanted to support the cause. Turns out her husband's sister is a very good friend of our very good friends, and I'd actually held her little boy at a birthday party in October, without even knowing that I used to hang out with his mother.

A couple that I have known since high school (when they were just dating but already sharing the same last name) were there with their two handsome little boys. Word of mouth traveled through friends of friends, etc. I was completely caught off guard when I saw them, although I knew exactly who they were. Out of context, you know? I was so busy trying to connect the dots for how they ended up there, I forgot to even say hello. [By the way, if you guys are reading this, post a comment to the blog with an email address where I can contact you. I won't publish the comment, so I'll be the only one who sees the address]

Again, I can't even articulate how incredible the whole event was. Words can't begin to express our gratitude for all of your support and generosity. You all should have some great karma coming your way. But don't quote me on that, cause you know how much karma and I butt heads.