The Neverending Story

'The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire.'
--John N Mitchell

We set up this website in late October for our wonderful, inquisitive, loving Aiyana. Yana is our eight year old daughter, sister, cousin, niece, friend and granddaughter who was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of leukemia (MPAL).

Aiyana had an amazing life and we are filled with hundreds of heartwarming memories. May all of us take to heart how much a little girl from Lockeford, CA, impacted the world and be reminded and inspired to never let the sun go down without living each day all the way through.

Her Spirit is in every Butterfly.

12.11.2009

Aiyana Ambassadors

Today we begin the REST of Aiyana's story, all 3,175 days of it that were jam-packed with tender memories. Today we begin plans for a bench at her school, made of reclaimed wood beautifully handcrafted by Plexus Pacific out of Mt. Shasta. This is going to be placed where she and her friends waited for their folks after school. It will be big enough to sit six across even with leg braces and crutches. And Aiyana's mother's will add some artwork.

It's a great idea! But get a load of this: Aiyana's elementary school has begun a coin drive to raise books for their library. You know how Aiyana loved to read, so isn't that the most perfect idea?

The last thing we read together was a wonderful Liberian folktale entitled Two Ways to Count to Ten. In it, the leopard king wants to choose a wise successor and so challenges the jungle animals to count to ten while the spear is still in the air. Everyone tries, of course, and each animal naturally needed its own voice, so we merrily read along, first as the elephant, then the lion, the monkey, the antelope and the musk ox.

So isn't the book drive totally Spot On? But THEN the family got to thinking: so many people have asked what they can do and we haven't really known what to suggest ... so why not put it out to all of you? If you would like to donate to the book drive at her school, that would be great! We can all be Aiyana Ambassadors and fill the library with books galore that will bring joy to her friends and school. An endplate with Aiyana's name will be put inside all books bought in her name. Can't you just see her smiling from here?

Those interested should send a check payable to Washington Elementary School. Please mark your donation envelope: Principal, Washington School, c/o Aiyana's Books, 831 W. Lockeford St, Lodi, CA 95242. But I call dibbies on getting them the very first copy of Two Ways to Count to Ten!

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Coins for Aiyana is going to be blessing beyond our imagination!

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