Knowing You’re Not Alone

Last winter, Jordan’s daughter was born. In March, his wife died. In May, he read Matt’s book and discovered the Liz Logelin Foundation.Jordan has a strong, local support network of family and friends – people who are, a winter later, still showing up to baby-sit and cook. People who encouraged him to set up a diaper fund, then contributed to the fund, then continued to do so, such that Jordan has never had to buy diapers for Sawyer, now eight months old. Because of these people, when Jordan discovered the Liz Logelin Foundation, he looked up the website. He clicked to the contributions page. He donated. When I hear this, I am stunned. “But why?” I ask. “Donate? Why not apply?” Jordan keeps grounds, baseball diamonds in central Florida, and he can’t be a man of unlimited means. And if not for logistics, then there would at least be some comfort in the grant’s award, being acknowledged by an entity thousands of miles away.

“Because I am lucky,” Jordan tells me. “Complete strangers have helped me out. I wanted to do the same for someone else.”

In Matt’s book, Jordan found an eerie mirror of his own journey.

“I know it can’t be the same, but it felt that way,” he says. In that mutual experience,there was the comfort crossing thousands of miles.

Through the phone, I hear Sawyer, eight months old, squealing. Jordan laughs lightly and assures me we are hearing happiness. From her tiny, distinct voice, I realize then the Foundation is not so much an entity as it is a collection of individuals. Individuals who know when life follows an illogical course, an unexpected generosity can help us find a stranger on a common journey.

Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to donate this holiday season.If you haven’t yet, don’t wait – join Jordan and donate now.