I was dating her Dad at the time, which later became my husband of seven years. When I met her, she had a mischievous sparkle in her eye and a sense of humor that I immediately related to. We shared an instant bond. What fun we had together riding horses, watching really bad B-horror movies on the latest invention, a VCR, and collaborating on creative projects.
Today, she is a published author, screenwriter, photographer a great friend and most importantly, a wonderful Mother to two beautiful kids. (nobody admits to the ugly ones)
She is also paralyzed, in a wheelchair, and diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer. Does she let that stop her? No! She’s currently working on her screenplay, which could very well be her last, and maintaining her sense of humor.
Dominique’s daughter, Justice, is sixteen. What a delightful, talented person she is! She is a poet, writer and draws the most lifelike portraits you’ve ever seen. She’s also studying to become a fashion designer.
Her son, Liam: where do I start? Talk about high IQ. Nothing gets past this kid. He’s fourteen going on forty. One of the things I love most about Liam is his wry sense of humor. We spend hours laughing together. He’s an accomplished, completely self-taught, guitar player, plays the drums and the flute and is a martial artist. He also has a passion for anything Star Wars. You should see this kid with a light saber.
They live in Joshua Tree, CA, in the middle of the desert, just the three of them. A year and a half ago, the kids dealt with a family situation that left them without a father. So, it’s just the three of them, our small family and you, my dear friends who have the opportunity to make a difference.
When I was a kid, sitting at the dinner table, unwilling to finish my dinner, my Dad always used to say to me “There are millions of starving kids in the world” to which I would reply “Name two”! How would me not finishing my Tater Tots help them? I finally get it, after several years on the planet, that helping others is the highest form of spirituality. But helping whom? And how? Why is helping others so important? Here are some reasons:
It makes you more attractive. Who would you rather be around? A greedy selfish person who is self-centered or a generous, loving person? We want to be attractive, don’t we?
It’s important for your health. Researchers conducted a study in which they recorded a group of men’s conversations. They counted the times the words “Me, Myself or I” were used. Those studied who had the highest number of self serving words actually suffered a much greater percentage of heart attacks than those who did not use those words. Our health depends on it!
It’s our chance to live a regret free life. How many times have you heard a person say, at a funeral, “I wish I would’ve done more”
What we give out comes back to us. Those who help others never go hungry.
Dominique is still here today. Her kids will live on to have productive lives. At present, they don’t have much and the needs are many.
What I’m proposing is money donations, care packages, time and prayer. I realize that many people think they don’t have a lot while others of you are quite abundant. But everyone can contribute something. Here are some ideas to get us started:
Spare change. Who ever thinks about it? I went into my junk cabinet today. We have a large freezer quality zip lock bag filled with change that Kerry takes out of his pocket every night. There must be at least $100 in coins. How much is in your spare change pile?
Garage Sales or Craig’s list. How much junk do we all have lying around that we don’t need? My last garage sale netted $800 Wow!
Simply writing a check for whatever amount you lovingly decide feels good. No amount is too small. Or just click the donate button on the right.
Care packages. I will let you know in later posts what specifically is needed. Or you can let your creative imagination rip as you’re reading this.
Prayer. Someone: James 2:14-26 said, “Faith without works is dead” Prayer is highly important, backed up by the power of God ministered through action.
I believe in humanity. I love and adore all my friends, family and those of you whom I haven’t even met. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Most of us take for granted the freedom of swinging our legs out of bed in the morning, getting in our car and driving wherever our heart desires. To Dominique, Justice and Liam, a medical transport to Denny’s for a slice of apple pie to celebrate one of their birthdays is a huge, big deal.
Let’s fill their lives with love. Let’s make it possible for Dominique to fulfill her wish: to write her final screenplay. Let’s put a smile on Justice and Liam’s face and hearts by knowing that the world is a beautiful place, filled with people who care. This is our chance to really make a difference.
And read Dominique’s blog! It’s not often that you get to read the thought provoking words of a professional writer for free. Writers live for people to read their words, just like great cooks live for people to taste and enjoy their food.
Now is the time! Click on the "Donate" Button to the right for credit/debit cards or make out a check to "LOST FACTION PRODUCTIONS" and you can mail your contribution to:
Lost Faction Productions
c/o Jennifer Evans
1225 Gaviota
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
1225 Gaviota
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
“The future depends on what we do in the present” - Ghandi
I love you ALL! Stay tuned for ongoing updates.
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