Bags & Blessings

Today I stand before you to share a deeply personal journey, one that has taught me about
resilience, gratitude, and the power of little things that can make a world of difference. There
has never been three harder words to say in my life than…..I …Have …Cancer. But since I spoke
those words to my husband and then to my son two constants have been my companions:
Bags and Blessings.
Bags are something more than just a functional tool that I use to carry my essentials with me
from place to place. In this instance, when I received the treat of receiving this bag it was a
testament to the support and care of those around me. Most who have never met me but
wanted to help me. This bag was filled with thoughtful gifts that I used throughout this process.
This bag represented so much more than the awesome material things that were inside of it.
This bag showed me that I was not alone in this battle. This bag represented a lifeline of love
that had been thrown to me by someone who deeply cared that I win this battle.
And then there were the blessings. In the midst of the darkness those who truly cared for me
helped me once again understand I was not alone and how to have a new appreciation for life’s
simplest joys. A warm smile from a nurse, a note, a voicemail, text from one of these ladies
that I got to know through Bags and Blessings were true blessings. These wonderful blessings,
which were brought to me in a cute bag, taught me to find solace in the ordinary, and to
embrace each day with a heart full of gratitude.
Bags and blessings as words seem unrelated, but they became intertwined threads that wove
the tapestry of my hope and resilience. They showed me that there is beauty to be found and
strength to be drawn from the smallest gestures. They taught me to cherish the present, to
find joy in my journey and to appreciate the power of the human connection.
As I stand here today, I am reminded of the countless others who are now facing their own
journey, their own battles. Bags and Blessings has blessed me that I now feel the want to help
others in the same way they have helped me.
Thank you to all of those who work so hard to make Bags and Blessings what it is the very day!
You may not get to see the smiles of the person or stranger receiving the bag full of blessings
but trust me those smiles are bright.
Thank you!

Kate Grable
9/9/2023