How do you put a price on that?

Many years ago a dear, dear friend of mine started a Dalmation Collection with her oldest daughter. My friend Lynelle was the most loving, kind, helpful mother you could ever ask for. She loved her children, her husband and animals. I always strived to be more like her. She never spoke bad about other people, always smiled, and had such a soft spot in her heart for everything. Her daughter Crystal collected everything Dalmation you could ever think of. Plastic figures, glass, wind chimes, pictures, soap dispensers, puzzles, everything. I remember when they started the collection. Crystal was just a young child. She loved spending time with her mom. They were very close. As were the other 4 children. Lynelle did everything for her children. Her family ALWAYS came first. The collection was something special that was shared only between Crystal and her mom.

Many years passed and we celebrated her birthday in style up at Flying M Ranch. We danced away the night and had so much fun celebrating her birthday in April! She deserved it! A fun night to celebrate HER and only HER! Breck did an amazing job getting it all set up in her honor! There was even a band there that played her favorite songs! I will never forget. :)

Two months later I received a phone call in the wee hours of the morning from her cell phone. I answered quickly as to find out of something was the matter since it was early. It wasn't Lynelle. It was her husband Breck informing me that she had fallen asleep and died on the couch in the night. Without going into too much detail .....my world fell apart. The children were alone. These children that I loved so much did not have their mom anymore. It was almost to much to bear. I spent countless hours with the family, during the service, viewings, etc. These kids loved our family and we loved them. It far surpasses the most devastating thing that has ever happened to anybody I know. A loving, family torn apart by an undiagnosed Congenital Heart Defect. Interesting that Riley had just conquered heart surgery a year earlier and his little life was spared. Stupid CHD's.

Many , many years have passed and this little tiny girl Crytal has turned into an adult. She has a keen interest in Riley and has spent hours and hours with out little boy. When she was in high school she did her senior project on children with Down Syndrome. She loves him unconditionally and everybody in her small town already know all about Riley and most have never met him! She talks about him all the time. And she has a soft spot for children with Down Syndrome.

While getting ready for our recent fundraising yard sale, Crystal mentioned that she would get some things together to sell at the sale. To bring in money for Riley's Service Dog. She brought her ARBA Tattoo kit, knick knacks, piggy banks, you know...just a lot of stuff. Then sitting in a big tub was her Dalmation Collection. She said that it had been sitting in the shed since there was not place to display it and that she would like to donate it for Riley's Sale.

During the sale, Lynelle's sister Laurie arrived. I hadn't seen her since Lynelle's service 4 years ago. We started talking, tears flooded my eyes as I still have a hard time when I talk about it. Laurie shed some tears and we shared some laughs about our beloved Lynelle. We talked some more. We were very quiet. Just Laurie, Maxine and I. She asked if that was Crystal's dalmations collection. That there were things in there that she had bought for her. I told her that it was and that there were things that I had purchased for her too.

About 15 minutes later a woman who was shopping with a baby girl asleep on her shoulder walked up to me. I had never met this woman before but we had briefly chatted when she had arrived at our sale. She proceeded to tell me that she would like to purchase every Dalmation item that was at the sale. ANYTHING Dalmation. A little shocked I helped her gather the huge bin full since her arms were full with her sweet baby. There was tons of stuff. We walked up to the cashier and she softly stated that she would like to give us $100 and that she would like me to give the Dalmation collection back to the young girl who lost her mom. That she had overheard our conversation and she couldn't believe the selflessness of this girl named Crystal. Who gave her PRICELESS collection to help a little boy. She must have overheard me saying that this was one of her last links to her mom. What an incredible random act of kindness.

The next day as we were sitting around the table during the sale eating our lunch Laurie showed up again. (Crystal's Aunt and the woman I was talking to the previous day about her sister that we missed so much) It was a perfect opportunity. I started retelling the story and told Crystal that a woman came and bought her entire collection. She had a happy, yet distressed look about her. I then told her about the $100 dollars and that I have the entire collection set aside for her. The whole room went quiet. Tears again formed. We cried. Crystal cried. Crystal doesn't cry! She is a tough cookie. This girl is so special to me. Not only her but her brother Matthew, and sisters Ashley, Kaitlyn and Kelsie. I don't know if they have any idea just how much they mean to me. Possibly it is that last link to their mom who I love and miss? I just know that I would do anything and everything for these children. I have taken them under my wings and call them mine.

And to the woman in the red car with the precious baby girl on your shoulder. I wish I knew who you were to thank you. I was in such shock that I missed when you left. Should you read this blog....please let me know. You are such an inspiration.

With a full, happy heart.

Sarah