Celebrating Sandra

For the last 7 years, I have run “Hope for Parents with Struggling Teens”. In this group, I have met some of the most amazing parents in our community. Parents who struggle but never give up. Parents who have many answers but are not afraid to admit when it is time to ask for help. Parents who don’t judge others but are quick to help and walk alongside other parents who are struggling. These parents have committed to this group in a way that I never could have imagined. I will forever remember a mother that epitomized all of these qualities. That person is Sandra. From the first day, she joined she brought a vulnerability and a hunger for growing as a parent that was so big that everyone noticed and was influenced. From the moment she stepped into the building she began encouraging members and connecting with others in her loud gregarious way, that only she could pull off. She made us all laugh, she brought tears to our eyes, she brought us hope, and she brought a sincerity that I am personally going to miss forever. For over two and a half years Sandra shared her story and mentored others in a way that changed families forever. I am so grateful for the time we had with her and so sad that others will miss the opportunity to experience her energy and wisdom in the group. In the last session she attended she reported that she was engaged, she felt hopeful and happy about the relationship with her son, and she felt happier than she had been in a long time. She will forever be an example that is shared, in the group, of a parent who was able to find great happiness in her life and who was able to walk alongside her son in a way that led him and will continue to lead him to be a great man. Thank you, Sandra, you will forever be remembered and loved by all of us.