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Friday, October 16, 2009

Breathe

October 16, 2009


Breathe. That's what I kept having to remind myself this week.

On Sunday evening the bureaucratic wheels in DC started turning, splicing, slicing, dissecting, and parsing the possibility of mentioning Erin in President Barack Obama's speech at the Points of Light conference hosted by former President George H.W. Bush in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Points of Light Foundation.

This was a very low probability event. Almost completely unlikely. Maybe 1 in 330,000,000.

It took most of several days for a final decision.

It happened despite the odds.



Erin was such a political junkie that I have to believe that she would have appreciated all the twists and turns the week brought, and especially the VIP treatment at the talk. to put her fervor into context, here's a selection from the entry I wrote the day after the election last fall, appropriately titled, Junkie (Politics and Pickles).

Erin returned to school yesterday, medicated with tylenol-3, and when I picked her up she seemed washed out and spent. Oh me of little faith. After a brief rest, she started getting geared up for the evening. She began by flipping through all of the television channels, matching the channel number and the network to the television program guide, thus creating a list of which channels were covering the election at what times. Then, she found an internet list of states organized by their poll closing time, which she highlighted and marked with various information about whether they were safe, likely, leaning, or toss up states and if there were contested Senate races in them. By 5:30, she had staked out the prime spot on the living room floor. As the first polls closed and the pundits and analysts started chanting over the numbers, Erin had the remote in her hand, surfing channels, while simultaneously clicking through on her laptop to sites like http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ and nytimes.com looking for the freshest returns. Every time a state went in her favor (actually Barack Obama's favor), she headed to the kitchen for a celebratory pickle! I wonder what her sodium and potassium levels will look like when she has her labs drawn tomorrow?

Here is a link to the C-SPAN video.

This video begins with President George H.W. Bush, with President Obama following. Erin's story is near the end (Around 26:30), but I think the message of service is one you might not mind sitting through. Of course, you will want me to add commentary and soon, but for now, I'm trying to remember to breathe.

Thanks all around: to Chet Edwards for having the idea that Erin was just what the President needed for his speech and for having the audacity to pursue the idea, to Jim Papa for selling the idea, for the speechwriters to capture Erin so succinctly, yet accurately, and to our President for delivering.

And thank you all for following Erin's point of light.

19 comments:

  1. ;) my heart is happy for you... As any parent, you must feel a great sense of pride when your child's name is mentioned by someone of authority... Most of us not by the President, however! Erin would be thrilled, I'm sure!

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  2. ...and I was tickled pink just to be sitting in traffic when the helicopters flew over on their way to Houston! How incredible you must feel!

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  3. Awesome! Just awesome! When I get the tears stopped I'm sure I'll think of something else to say. But, for now, Awesome says it all. The heaven's are full of giggles from our Erin, that's for sure!

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  4. That is incredibly awesome! Erin is thrilled for sure :)

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  5. What a wonderful message and no better person to exemplify an ideal we should all hold ourselves to than your amazing Erin.

    PS -I'm moving to Texas just so I can register to cast my vote for Chet.

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  6. This just made me even more excited to honor Erin in the Extra Life Fundraiser tomorrow! Incredible!

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  7. Chet Edwards and Pres. Obama could not have chosen a better person to use an example of dedication to a cause! I am sooooooo proud of Erin and so proud of you, Walter, and Davis for helping her become the outstanding person she was! She has left such a beautiful legacy.

    Love,

    Kimberly

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  8. well, that is just really cool, beyond cool. way to go chet.

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  9. I hope you are just about bursting with pride. You should be. What an incredible tribute to Erin, and indirectly to her family too. Bet you never thought the lanyards would get a mention by the president of the USA! Just wonderful.

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  10. I wonder how many angels Erin had sitting to watch that tribute. I know she is organizing all of them to be better angels. How proud I was to hear her name at such an event. Way to go!!!

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  11. Vickie,

    We are all humbled by how much Erin continues to accomplish, showing us by example what it means to live a life of selfless service, smiling and having fun all the way. Surely, this must rank as one of the proudest moments a parent could ever have. Yet another gift Erin has given you and Walter, and the rest of us who continue to love and follow Erin.

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  12. Very exciting and inspiring! Her life touched so many people, and she will always be remembered. I agree with others' comments here that Erin manifests many gifts, but I also commend you and your family for continuing to share her gifts with us. I also have to wonder if Obama pronounced her (your) last name correctly?!

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  13. Goosebumps and tears. What an inspiring confirmation of all that is magical and good about Erin's life. I'm off to the refrigerator for a celebratory pickle.

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  14. I am bursting with joy. Erin's light continues to radiate all over this world.

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  15. Vickie,

    So happy for you and Walter and Davis. Erin continues to inspire us all. This gave me chills. Hurray for President Obama and Chet.

    Margot, Neil and Hutchison Boys

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  16. Amazing... incredible... awestruck! Erin is..a Point Of Light.

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  17. OMG vickie!!! this is beyond fabulous. i just returned from allie's bat mitzvah where i was brought to tears listening to allie and elissa talk about erin. i'm wearing a lanyard that was made in erin's honor, with a little orange bead for toby too. and now i get to hear the great president of our country talk about my favorite girl. it's almost more than i can bear. LOVE your girl, love you.

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  18. And so Erin continues to roll and be a role model (even for the President of the United States!!)
    Erin and her family continue to inspire and amaze me. Her power is awesome.

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