can't go unnoticed

The press gives highlight to tragedy, not so much charity. You won't find tragedy in this narrative.

Thursday Nov. 8 was different than evenings my husband and I had shared in recent months. Incapacitated for nearly four months, my husband was recovering from taking a fall off a motorcycle. Significant injury to his knee left him out of work.

As a self-employed truck driver, we soon learned that there were no safety nets in place for us. At least that's what we initially thought. Receiving an invite to meet friends and their family, my husband Don had no idea that his friends had arranged a benefit dinner and auction in his name.

Held at Tarasco Mexican Restaurant and Bar in Ballard, owner Tony Cuevas along with Sheri Davis, both of Ballard, hosted the event, including a delicious buffet with all the authentic trimmings. Friends donated food, helped prepare dinner, and auctioned hand made gifts and business services.

In all, friends, family and patrons donated upwards to $3,000. Incredible!

It was a friend who introduced us to Tarasco, a Ballard neighborhood restaurant and bar that my husband and I now frequent. Through that introduction we met the owner Tony, Sheri and other friends that we enjoy spending our time with, mulling over the ups and downs of our respective weeks.

Now, a little more than a year later, they were helping us get back on our feet. My husband and I have given to causes in the past, some close to our heart, but never had we ever been the recipient on this level. To be a part of this kind of giving changes you.

The kindness of friends and family along with a few strangers is truly uplifting. I had never felt this much warmth and caring before. It was the emotion found in my husband's eyes that impressed me most. My husband was truly overwhelmed by such kindness and generosity; it left him speechless.

Our thanks is not enough for those who put together this generous act of kindness. This event has been more powerful in my husband's recovery than the surgery that repaired his injury. This event repaired his heart.

Jeanne Schmidt

Greenwood