So I just put my kids to bed and sat down to write you a brief thank you note.  And as I am letting the day sink into my head and my heart, I can't stop crying.  I am so humbled by all of it- by you, by them, by their stories, by the abundant provision of our needs, by the respect and camaraderie of this group, and by the simple fact that we had an opportunity to impact these people's lives in a way we may not ever understand.  So many of you went above and beyond today in trying to serve these people well.  I cannot begin to convey the deep emotion I'm feeling right now, and it truly is an honor to have served alongside each of you today.
 
To my HP teammates- Jenny, Christina, Jeb, Joel, Amy, Robin, Julia, Lori, MIchael and Andrea- I'm in awe of your strengths and the way you took ownership of this event. Thank you for your leadership, your hard work and your countless hours of preparation & planning.  This was a team event indeed, and I am grateful for each of you.  To Jenny & Christina especially- words can't convey my heart for you girls.  I love us. :)  
To Ron Justice- what an incredible heart you have.  Thank you for all you did to make today a success for everyone- you have my utmost respect, sir.
To Matt Singleton & Crosspoint Church, thank you for bringing in many of our guests today. I'm grateful we were able to work together to meet their needs and love on them for a little while.  
To Sally & Krystal for the incredible children's area- what a gift to the kids and to their moms who got a moment to be pampered and worry-free while you cared for their children- from experience, that is priceless.
To Abby- you literally saved the day.  Thank you for all your running today-- and save your receipts!
To the glam squad for their rockstar beauty transformations- I'm still amazed at the impact being made to feel beautiful has on these women. And to give them the star treatment in the process is what it's all about-- they deserve that special attention. Thank you for that.  
For a quick shout out, how about Chick-fil-A (450 meals!) and Sam Darsinos, who provided all the food and 21 cases of water for the volunteers.  That was amazing!  Please go support your local CFA & Darsinos!  And I know he's not on here, but Kenny Winchell, owner of Limelight, basically gave us that venue for about 97% of the normal rental cost, and I think he deserves a little notoriety for offering us a great place to love on these people.  
And lastly, to you, our photographers and volunteers-whether you were shooting, assisting, printing, framing, mailing, social networking, feeding or leading these people through the event- I could not be more proud to have had you there today.  Everywhere I looked all day long, our guests were being treated so beautifully & respectfully by you.  You encouraged them, you made them smile & have fun, you helped them to relax, you gave them a good memory, you helped restore relationships, and you instilled dignity that may have gotten lost along the way. You served them well, and you showed them they were worth it.

It was a privilege to be with you all today.

Thank you for everything,
Shannon


Ok.  I'm crying again.  (I'm an emotional beast, what can I say? :))

p.s. Sorry for the not-so-brief thank you note. Didn't know I was going to write a small novel... ha!