The House that Love Built

When I first heard that Ronald McDonald House is known as "the house that love build" I thought cute... nice tag line... but I didn't get it then like I do now.

Last night sitting on a bench as we were checking out with Jillian crying and asking me not to make her leave her favorite place. In the elevator she told me she wants to be at rmh, it helps to keep her healthy and is important to her.

When you first hear of Ronald McDonald House you think of a place to sleep in a building connected to the hospital. You think about the convenience of being close to the hospital when your house is located far away... but something you don't think of when you are headed to rmh for the first time is the love.

Having stayed at rmh many times now, my first thought is about the love and the bed is a second thought.

I wish I had the words to explain to you the love inside those walls. The staff who have taken the time to get to know us and spend time with the girls, either playing the trash sorting game with Jilli or making Lydia's infectious laugh come out.  The volunteers who help make the house a home from doing the dishes to taking us to the magic room. Ann and Ken gardening and their hugs after a long day and their love to jump in an share the love of gardening with my kids, Jilli loves gardening because of them, I treasure any moment we are able to spend with Ann and Ken.  The dinners made by outside groups that care about others so they come in and make meals to take that stress off of families. To the expressive therapies and the calm that brings to the girls and the distraction that they bring in the midst of the hard time. The other guest families make the house an amazing place, while sometimes I joke that it is an interesting social experiment having 70 families live in close quarters sharing kitchens and common spaces, the families are a true gift and have become some of our favorite people in the world.

Do you have someplace in the world where you know you just belong? Someplace you feel filled up in even in the midst of hard times?

For us that place in Ronald McDonald House. They support us in the mist of hard times and we are so thankful for them. RMH is so much more then a bed... it is love in action.

To learn more about the House that Love Built click HERE for ways to get involved.

Today for valentines day Jilli and I wore our RMH heart shirts to celibrate the love we feel from rmh