The Treasure You Event

1.18.14

       We were told to be there late on Saturday morning, about 10 AM so I headed to downtown Dallas at about 9 to be sure I was there in plenty of time.
        The first thing on the schedule was our make-up touch ups. I'm definitely not the best at make-up, so I was excited to have somebody that was a pro put everything on me. I had decided to wear a white lacy dress with some beige heels that Jenny had helped me pick out. The girls at White House Black Market also accessorized me with a belt that matched the shoes.
         Anyways, I got there, got my makeup touched up, and just like that it was time for pictures.

Marla, Me, and Ron Corning (News Personality)

Me and Alex

Senator Wendy Davis, Me and Alex

      We had a waiting room to hang out in until the big event, and while I was sitting there I got a facebook message from one of my friends who is a missionary in Kenya. She told me that one of her friends was posting pictures at the same time with the same people in them, and as I read the lady's name out loud, the woman next to me said, "Yes? That's me?" and I told her that we have a mutual friend in common! Turns out, this lady was one of the original people who helped start Hope Fellowship. Small world.

       Then, we were asked to come out to this little area that they had set up as a red carpet. Robin Roberts had just arrived, and we were going to take pictures with her. 

Marla Avery, Pat Smith, Robin Roberts, LaToya Brown, and Me!

        As we broke up from taking the picture, Marla went right up to Robin Roberts and started telling her about how they had a mutual friend in common. To be honest, I got a little start struck and when Robin turned around to meet me all I could say was, "Its really nice to meet you." (All that, and I get tongue tied. Sheesh).

         We were escorted back to the lunch room where there were about five tables set up with 10 chairs a piece. The front two tables had the big-wigs, Emmitt and Pat, and then the three of us winners were in the back with a table full of very interesting people. At the beginning of the lunch, Pat got up to the little podium and shooed all the camera men out. She said that she just wanted everyone to have some quiet before the event started, and that meant no still cameras or video cameras. 

          I sat next to a woman named Candy who didn't look much older than me, but I could tell that she was a mover and a shaker. She was talking across the table to another woman and they were sharing stories about who they'd met and where. Candy eventually started talking about her church, The Potter's House, where Bishop T. D. Jakes preaches. I distinctly remember one story that she told about Pat just getting up one service at the end and asking, "Does anybody need anything?" A completely open-ended question, like there was nothing that was out of bounds to ask for. 

          When lunch was over, it was time to head downstairs. We went down to the main auditorium where the presentations would take place, and I had a reserved seat on the front row. Alex sat behind me, he had decided to wear his dress blues and he just looks so handsome in those things! To my right was Marla, to my left was LaToya. On the other side of Marla was Senator Wendy Davis, who is tiny in real life, but very nice to talk to. On the other side of LaToya were the daughters of T.D. Jakes, Sarah and Cora. 

           Pat got up and talked for a little bit, and they did a life simulcast of the event on their website. (I am at 41:59 on that 2.5 hour clip.) Pat went through the three winners, and I was presented last. When I heard myself start talking about Kaitlyn's story, I started crying. It had just been such an amazing journey to be there, to be with all of these people of influence, and be able to tell our story, God's story. I was blown away, and completely humbled. 

           There was another Mom there at the event that really made an impression on me, and that was Treyvon Martin's mom. She was being honored for "Overcoming", but as I watched her throughout the day, I saw that her sadness was palpable. I saw the grief look that I'm sure was present on my face for the first few weeks after Kaitlyn passed. I saw pain. 

            I didn't really have the nerve to introduce myself to Sabryna Fulton at the lunch, but after she got up on stage as she was being honored and said, "I would never have chosen this, I don't want to be where I am, but Treyvon would want me to make the best of it," I knew I needed to hug her. Regardless of the whirlwind around Treyvon's death in the news, at the end of the day, a 17 year old boy lost his life. Over nothing. I saw that pain in her face, still. 

           Once the presentation was over, chaos broke out. So many people came up to us and wanted to shake our hands. Pat made her way down the front row to hug everyone, and I turned and introduced her to Alex and said, "I just wanted you to meet him and shake his hand," to which she replied, "Well can I hug him?!" That just made me laugh and I said, "Of COURSE you can hug him!" 

           Then, Bishop Jakes' daughter Cora came up to me and wanted my email address so that we can keep in touch (which we have), since she struggles with infertility. 

           As I saw that Robin Roberts was being shown out the door (or rather, escorted politely because everyone was trying to talk to her), I knew I needed to say one other thing to her. So I positioned myself right next to the line as she was finding her way to the exit and when she saw me she said, "Oh Congratulations on being recognized!" and gave me a hug, but I said, "Robin remember me in October..." She looked at me with a perplexed look and I continued, "It's stillbirth awareness month. Remember me in October." And with that, she took her hand and held my chin and looked me in the eye and said, "I will remember you in October." 

           On our way out the door to the reception, I found Sabryna Fulton standing against the wall. I couldn't help it, I didn't know this woman from Eve, but I just couldn't help it. 

            I looked her in the eyes and I said, "Can I hug you?" To which she said, sure, and I grabbed that lady like she was my sister and I hugged her really tight and whispered, "I am so sorry for your loss..." 

And I hugged her. She hugged me back and said, "Thank you." 

            Alex and I went to the reception for a few minutes, but we had to leave fairly quickly because we needed to go to Chad and Jenny's for a graduation party for Chad. We had been through so much with those two and there was no way we were not going to be there. 

   

            And with that, Treasure You was all but over.