Happy Birthday Leah

Happy birthday Leah! She would be 39 today. 

I think of her often. And so much more so now that I’m a mom. I just want to share a few things that stand out to me.

I admired so many things about her, but one of the things that most impressed me was how great of a mom she was. 

She shared so much with me about her pregnancies & raising Elly & Drew. I remember when she told me she was pregnant with Elly on one of our after-work runs near Easton’s Beach. And I had a hunch she was pregnant with Drew days before she took a test. She was my 1st friend to have kids and she made being a mom look do-able. I'd say she made it look easy, but she was always realistic in sharing the struggles. Even though I was a decade behind her as far as being ready for kids, her impact on me was profound.

I always imagined & hoped I would one day tell her all about my pregnancy and my own kid. And I would say "remember when you told me ... [whatever it was], well that happened to me too, or that happened with my kid too". I understand those things now.

And some things are even more bewildering to me now.  Like how Drew wouldn't take a bottle though she tried everything. So, when Leah went back to work her nanny would bring Drew into work to nurse multiple times a day. At the time I didn’t think it was a big deal, but now I have a better grasp about the commitment & dedication that went into completely feeding him by nursing! 

Some things are painfully in focus. When she was battling cancer and experiencing a bad day, she would light up when her kids walked into the room. At the time I was astounded that simply looking at someone you loved could be such strong medicine. That feels right to me now. But taking that another step further, what strength it must have taken that even with everything going on, she never shut them out from bringing her joy. She always found the energy to be present with them and never padded & protected her heart by shutting down.

I miss my best friend. And it's not much of an exaggeration to say I think of her every day. Most of the time it's fine, but it can still be heartbreaking. The name "Leah" can still put a lump in my throat and send me into a bit of a sad spell. I want so much for her to be remembered & thought of. But selfishly I must admit if I had given my daughter the middle name “Leah” like I considered, I don’t know if I could handle writing her full name on documents for years to come. Would the rawness go away over time? Instead, we picked "Grace" for a middle name because Leah handled her life and her cancer battle and everything with such grace. One day I will tell my daughter Emelyn Grace about all the good things that happened in my life because I had a best friend named Leah.

I hope it’s okay to mention that there is a special little someone who DOES have “Leah” as a middle name – Leah’s new little niece!! I think Bryan’s brother & sister-in-law are so incredible to honor Leah’s memory this way! And from the pictures I’ve seen, she’s absolutely adorable! <3

p.s. I saw Leah's Cancer Warrior "Strength to Dance, Courage to Win" magnet on a car a couple days ago and it made me so happy! Thank you to whomever that was!

In memory of Leah: Leah's Baskets

Today marks 4 years since Leah had to exit this life tragically early.

This is exactly the kind of day that Leah would have thoughtfully messaged a friend or family member. Other occasions, such as someone going through a tough time in life, she was likely attuned to, and would reach-out with a creative gift basket or gift certificate, or organizing a fundraising pool to get someone a fantastically practical item, such as an iPad for our Aunt Joanne during her cancer diagnoses and surgery.

Leah's heart was noticed by many, including a friend of the Ploutz family, Mary Valentine, who was inspired to start a custom gift basket service called Leah's Baskets that she's been tirelessly operating, she's even formed a not-for-profit, Leah's Basket's, Inc.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/leahsbaskets1/

Her post from today beautifully sums up it's provenance:

Leah passed away four years ago today. Not long after, Leah's Baskets was created to honor her memory, so Drew and Elly knew their mother made a difference while she was here. The original plan was only to bring baskets to those under Hospice care. But then a friend posted about her friend who had been recently diagnosed with cancer. I thought maybe I could pull together a care package to send. Her response was favorable, so I sent one to another person battling cancer. Then donations in all shapes and sizes began to show up in my office and home. I never expected it and was overjoyed and overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. This enabled me to do more than I had ever dreamed. Before long, we brought our camper home and it became the office for Leah's Baskets. I LOVE giving a little bit of joy to those under Hospice Care, but it's wonderfully fulfilling to send a box of love filled with hope and support to someone we hope will beat this dreaded disease. Bless you all, those fighting, those supporting and those that now watch us from above. XOXOXO

Mary customizes each gift basket after a brief interview with the loved one's family or friend, and she also includes items she's curated that are inspired by Leah's dragonfly.

Just look at these recent postings on facebook, there's activity nearly every few days!






Others donate items to add to the stock....



As my mom said, "Can you think of anything more perfect to honor Leah than this."

Undoubtedly, each basket is imbued with Leah's love and she would be extremely touched knowing this was being done in her name, as are we.