Skip to main content

Getting some perspective while shaving my head!


The posts on this blog usually relate to updates in divorce law and advice on how to experience a better and less traumatic divorce.  Divorce is considered to be the second most traumatic event a person can experience, and we find that helping our clients get through that experience is fulfilling work.

But last weekend, I participated in an event where many of the people had experienced the most traumatic type of life event: the loss of a family member to cancer.   At the One Mission Kid's Cancer Buzz-Off, 450 participants and their families gathered to support the families of kid's with cancer, and the event was an amazing success that I was honored to be a part of it.

While I am lucky to have two healthy daughters, there was a time in my oldest daughter's life where she had to spend one month in the hospital.  It was the hardest thing my wife and I have ever experienced, and I can't imagine how hard it is for families with children in cancer treatment which can last, not just months, but years.

So when I heard about the Buzz-Off event I decided I could put my long hair to good purpose and through the generosity of more than forty donors, I was able to raise more than $1,500 for the event.  Overall the 450 participants raised $560,000.

This past Saturday, June 3, 2012, I attended the Buzz-Off with my family to fulfill my promise to those donors of shaving my head.

The Buzz-Off was held in the club seat section at Gillette stadium and was very well organized.  There was face-painting and balloon animals for the children and the head shaving kicked-off around 9:30 A.M. with Rob Gronkowski starting things off.  After Rob, there were numerous interviews with the families that were shaving their heads together.  While I waited for my buzzing at 11:00, I listened to the reasons that so many others had been inspired to raise money as well.

One story in particular stuck with me, where a father described how he and his boys were shaving all of their heads in memory of their 18 month old child who had died of cancer.  All of us were there to help families just like his, and his strength in memory of his family's sacrifice was truly moving.

So if you see me in the next few weeks with my buzzed hair, consider it a reminder of the real sacrifice that many families experience and remember that whatever you may be going through, a little perspective never hurts.  I hope by sharing this experience with you that you will find it as inspiring as I did.

I want to thank everyone who donated and supported my involvement in this event.  If you want to learn more click the below links for:

More information about One Mission's Buzz-Off program;

Pictures of the Buzz-Off 2012;

Registration for the Buzz-Off 2013; or

You can still DONATE for the 2012 event until September.

THANK YOU!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is the purpose of the Divorce Nisi waiting period?

In Massachusetts the statutory waiting period after a Judgment of Divorce and before the divorce becomes final (or absolute) is called the Nisi period. After a divorce case settles or goes to trial, a Judgment of Divorce Nisi will issue and it will become Absolute after a further ninety (90) days. This waiting period serves the purpose of allowing parties to change their mind before the divorce becomes final. If the Judgment of Divorce Nisi has issued but not become final yet, and you and your spouse decide you don't want to get divorced, then you can file a Motion to Dismiss and the Judgment will be undone. Although many of my clients who are getting divorced think the idea of getting back together with their ex sounds crazy, I have had cases where this happened. In addition to offering a grace period to change your mind, the Nisi period has three other legal effects: 1. The most obvious effect of the waiting period is that you cannot remarry during the Nisi period, be...

New Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines (2021): Big Changes, Little Changes, Typos & some Unexpected Results

UPDATE: The court has released a web calculating version of the 2021 MA Child Support Guidelines Worksheet .  It resolves some of the typos referred to below, but the unexpected calculations still apply. Every four years, per federal mandate, the Massachusetts Probate & Family Court revisits the Child Support Guidelines through the work of a Task Force appointed by the Chief Justice.  The 2021 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines were recently posted.  They take effect on October 4, 2021.    If you are interested in a training on all of these changes to the new Child Support Guidelines: DMTA Presents the 2021 MA Child Support Guidelines Update  – Attend this event to learn the key updates you need to know for your mediation clients. Presented by Justin Kelsey of  Divorce Mediation Training Associates  and  Skylark Law & Mediation, PC . For a full comparison of all the  tracked changes between the 2018 and 2021 Massachusetts Ch...

Online Tool for Creating Parenting Plans

It is our hope that all families find a way to resolve conflict peacefully.  This is especially true when children are involved.  Divorced or separated parenting has many complications and the first is just deciding how to share time with a child from two separate households.  Developing a schedule can result in a lot of tension, especially if parents have trouble picturing how this new schedule will interact with their work schedules and the schedules of their children. To help make this easier, we've created an online tool for creating parenting plans that is simple and easy to use: We encourage parents, regardless of the process they are using to divorce, to use this form to assist in evaluating and settling custody disputes. The form allows you to choose between the Model Parenting Plan proposals or customize your parenting plan over a four week period by clicking directly on the form.  When you click on a section of the calendar it switches between ...