Hope

The whole pink world - So I recently heard a conversation that had this juicy little tidbit in the middle 'We don’t want to say we want to find a cure for breast cancer, because that would just be silly.' It’s a zinger, right? I have been working on the mouth-filter my mom had so diligently begged me to employ so I sat silently whilst this was being tossed out there. But now, after ruminating a bit, I find that I need to post about it. As seems to be my modus operandi.

So let’s dissect this, want to? I know that we all have goals in our life. When you achieve them, do you then feel unbelievable satisfaction with a job well done? Or, if in the case of a job-advancement kind of thing – do you now have to worry about what to tackle next? Here’s how I see it (for what it’s worth) – if you climb and claw for something that will only bring you power and money, what do you do with that power and money? Do you go all-Emperor Palpatine and build yourself a big star to conquer the universe? And the bigger house, fancier car, does all that stuff make your heart feel better? I’m not being a smarty pants, I really want to know as I have no idea.

Barb and Pat, the co-founders of Vera Bradley, have said repeatedly (to my face, mind you, not in an inter-office memo situation) that their goal is to find a cure for breast cancer and find a new cause. Brilliant. Inspired. Mostly, however, hopeful. And in an unabashed sort of why-on-earth-not kind of a way. There is no reason to put hope aside for other gains, they can work in tandem. To be able to find a new cause, genius.

To let you know how possible this is, and within our lifetime, I’d like to share just a little historic nugget with you. In 1947, a child of Russian-Jewish immigrants began to work on a project that would find a cure for a horrific disease that was considered to be the most dangerous epidemic in recent history. By 1955, Jonas Salk and his team had found a cure for polio that is saved millions worldwide. As if speaking to all of us about power and glory, he was asked by Edward R. Murrow about who owns the patent rights to that immunization. His reply? “Well, the people, I would say," Dr. Salk replied. "There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?"

He then spent the rest of his live quietly seeking a vaccine for HIV with his team. Yes, I know it seems big, this hope for a cure. And since breast cancer has been around so long, it might seem insurmountable. But that just means you haven’t met the researchers I’ve met. Or spent time in the labs at the IU Simon Cancer Center. Or perhaps you’ve just never met Barb and Pat. Wonder what they will tackle when this is done….

Painting

RENO, NEVADA - I tell you all the time (well, those of you out on twitter and facebook, anyway...) to go find a local Contemporary Ceramics Studio Association (CCSA) studio and paint some pottery. These are the pottery studios located all over that allow you to come in and paint pottery and then THEY clean up the mess while you have a good time. It's really just a stellar time, as a matter of fact, our tiny staff here at the Foundation will be doing that for our Christmas party this year. We fully expect to leave covered in red and green paint.

I encourage people to go for fun, but there is a another really big reason - other than the fact that you should find a good creative outlet. This organization is absolutely passionate about cancer research. Passionate. They come to me individually and tell me their stories of hope, of survivorship, and in some cases, of loss. They sit at corporate headquarters and say things like 'lets do this' and then create entire programs around donating to the Vera Bradley Foundation. Mayco and their partners have created a campaign to align with our "Hope Grows" theme. Lilly Ollo has decided to send a portion of their proceeds from their silver jewelry sales to us. All of these people had never heard of us, but now know and love what we do. This photo is Richard, the King of CCSA (that's the title I have bestowed upon him, I'm not entirely sure of his actual title but I am sure it's just as impressive) doing his darnedest to get the auction prices juuuuuust a bit higher. And me. Looking like a dork in my 1980's prom dress. That was their theme this year, I don't ask questions, I just attend. Happily.

These are small business owners who are making a difference in spite of difficult economic times, in spite of the fact that philanthropic giving is down nationwide. These studios are people with hearts as big as their creative genius. I know you are thinking about what to do with the kids one weekend when the weather is not perfect. I know you are working to plan your own Holiday parties. I know you are thinking about doing a girls night out for ONCE and just have a little time alone. I know where you should go. Tell them Heidi says hi. :)