11/28/2020 7 Comments Happy Birthday.... 25![]() 25 To most, its just a number, but today its YOUR number.... today you would have been your 25th Birthday. I have had so many thoughts and reflections leading up to today, and its hard to keep the what if’s from creeping in.. Twenty five years ago, I was 25, and I gave birth to my first son, Nicholas Arthur Savage (yes, Arthur is a family name). I remember being more scared than excited if I were to be honest, because becoming a parent is one of those “Big things” in life... and you really don’t want to screw it up. I read every “What to Expect” book, and took notes at appointments and bought all the latest and greatest “ Must haves” for newborns. I also kept journal back then and yesterday pulled out my pregnancy journal, and my last entry was written on Nov. 25th 1995. I couldn’t help reading my last entry over and over again last night.... ” Today you moved and moved so much..Maybe you will be here soon? I often think about what kind of person you are going to be.....have a feeling you are going to be a mover and shaker in this world! I can not wait to meet you... I just know you are going to make not only a difference in my world but in the world around you. I love you already to the moon and back.” Nick... I still feel the same way about you today... you have made a difference in my world and in the world around you.... only difference now is “I love you to heaven and back” That last entry was meant to be read by me last night... I needed to be reminded that the what if’s don’t matter and that you still are a “mover and shaker”. I just needed to see it in a different perspective, and I saw it last night. So on today.... your 25th Birthday... we will celebrate you how we always did, pumpkin pie with extra whip cream! Happy 25th Birthday Nick! I love you Always....more Mom oh..... and is a a coincidence that his hockey jersey was #25???
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3/30/2020 0 Comments What's your qt?I have a couple secrets... 1. I have “day” pajamas AND “night” pajamas. 2. Breakfast has been known to be served at 1:00 pm at my house. 3. Not having enough time to do my laundry is apparently NOT the reason my laundry isn't done. AND... you know what?? It’s OK! I could go on and on about what I have not completed/accomplished or done with my time in the last few weeks. I think that is so easy for all of us to do, when there are so many feelings of uncertainty. Lots of things are uncertain right now... financial stability of businesses, jobs, the health and well-being of our families and community, or just an overall sense of how and will we survive Covid-19? Most of us have been quarantining ourselves for the last 2-3 weeks and by now, we have had lots of time to think about how this pandemic could affect us or our families. And you know what? It is so easy to find ourselves focusing on the negative. This is a mindset I had to reset this weekend. I was so focused on the mess we still had in our yard from leaves and leftover junk from last year that I almost didn’t see the beautiful flowers growing through the mess. And then it hit me. There can be beauty in this quarantine time, and that beauty is my Quality Time with my family! We have had pajama day, and we have stayed up way too late binge watching Tiger King, then slept in and had breakfast at 1:00 pm and really... WHO CARES about laundry. Right? My QT has allowed me to do these things that I may not have otherwise been able to do or made the time to do... and I LOVED every second of it!
You see, I truly believe that out of darkness, beauty can come. And that there is beauty around us if we just take the time and see it. Quarantine Time = Quality Time How are you spending your QT? Is your QT allowing you to see what really matters? Have you had a pajama day yet? 3/23/2020 0 Comments My Quarantine to-do listWhoa, how life suddenly changed. For all of us. Funny how that happens, isn't it? Less than two weeks ago, we were all humming about our busy schedules, trying to figure out how would possibly accomplish everything on our “to-do” lists and (many of us) looking forward to a warm spring break somewhere sunny. Now, many of us are canceling those plans and working to figure out our new/temporary normal. As we do that, I wanted to pass along a few ideas of family bonding and other activities to do at home during the quarantine. 1. Clean our your medicine cabinet! As you organize and clean out cabinets during all this time at home, make it a priority to clean out your medicine cabinets. Our Drop2Stop locations throughout Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan offer safe and convenient (almost curbside!) drug disoposal. 2. Talk with your kids about an exit plan. If your kids are in school, they are old enough to have this conversation. Let’s fill this time with meaningful discussions… including the importance of making good choices, the importance of being a good friend and the importance of having an exit plan! This “plan” comes into play when they are in a situation that makes them feel uncomfortable or where bad choices are being made – the exit plan helps them get out of (or exit) it. Have them call you or text an ‘x’. Then you know to reach out to them and you come up with the excuse to pick them up. We, as parents, can help them navigate through tricky times. 3. Take a Walk. There has never been a better time or excuse to connect with your kid and find out what’s going on in their life. It sounds so simple but realistically, how many of us know the day-to-day of our kids’ lives from THEIR perspective? Their perspective on what’s going on in their life is probably a little different than yours! Relationship building is truly priceless. 4. Dine in… TOGETHER. Right now, most restaurants are not allowed to be open for walk-in business, due to government mandates. But have you considered curbside take out or drive-thru? If you are like us, then you have a favorite place you may frequent at least once, twice (maaaaaybe even three times) a week. Why miss your favorite menu items when you can eat them in the comfort of your own home? What a great way to support our neighbors who own a small business! Of course, you can make all your meals too – thankfully there are plenty of grocery delivery services still up and running! 5. Practice Self-Care Slow down. Sit down. Enjoy a bubble bath. Read a book. Watch all the FREE live concerts. It seems like every day there is another concert streamed through Instagram or Facebook live and it is amazing how the arts are helping us through the insanity of being stuck in our own homes indefinitely. Oh, then there’s my all-time favorite – binge watching Hallmark (thank goodness Christmas marathon is back)! Take advantage of it and ENJOY! 6. Bake. I LOVE to bake! Involve the kids… even if they are only volunteering to sample what you bake! It’s a fantastic way to enjoy some of your favorite indulgences. 7. Get competitive! Break out a board game – our family favorite is Monopoly – or teach your kids a new card game. We pass the time with very competitive games of Euchre! As we continue to navigate this bizarre time in our lives, I’m trying to be more intentional about leaning in and making it count. When in our lives have we been told, “Cancel all your plans, stay home and be with your family?” Yes, so much about this COVID-19 is scary and unknown, but let’s focus on what we do know and the unconditional love we have in front of us every single day. Don’t waste it.
2/12/2020 0 Comments Dreams Can Come True
Every young hockey player that grows up in South Bend, Indiana has, at one point or another, dreamed of playing hockey for the University of Notre Dame. Nick and Jack were no different.
I remember how their eyes would light up as they watched the Irish – and if a hockey player happened to glance their way, that would be the topic at bedtime tuck ins for many, many nights that followed. They knew every Notre Dame player, their position, stats, etc. To say they were fans would be an understatement! So about a year ago when we were approached about a potential partnership with the Notre Dame Hockey team, I was speechless.
When you travel to different cities with the same kids and parents every weekend to play in hockey tournaments, you build friendships. The kids, the parents… it’s just what happens. You become close with those people and they become part of your life – your hockey family. That’s where Notre Dame sophomore forward Graham Slaggert comes in. He played travel hockey with Jack and was also friends with Nick.
Graham contacted me last winter, saying he wanted to run an idea by me. During that meeting, Graham told me he was working with Under Armour to design a jersey for his team to wear and show support for 525 Foundation, while also serving as a way to honor and remember the two friends he lost.
I am touched that Graham felt so deeply about a cause that he decided to take action. Then he talked to his teammates about his idea and explained why it was so important. They decided to take action. With the support of the team, the coaching staff and others within the Notre Dame Hockey organization took action as well. The ripple effect... This is how you make change. The impact of that ripple effect is truly what 525 Foundation is all about, touching one person at a time. This Saturday, February 15, Nick and Jack’s childhood dream will come true. My boys will be ON THE ICE (well... represented on the ice) during a Notre Dame hockey game! The team is wearing the commemorative jersey Graham worked to design. It is very similar to the one the boys wore all those years ago when they played for our local travel hockey team, the Rovers. Each jersey also has a patch on the inside collar with the ND logo AND the 525 Foundation logo!
Because of this partnership, we have the opportunity to continue the ripple effect. A parent at the game might have an opportunity to learn about the Foundation’s mission and share our story with their children. A college student at the game might learn about what happened to Jack and Nick and perhaps make a life-altering choice later that night when they are out with friends. A community becomes safer because fewer unused prescription medications are on the streets.
Years from now, I hope Nick and Jack are remembered for their stats… how many tens of thousands of pounds of pills were collected because of them, how many lives they touched and how much of a difference they made in their own community and beyond.
There will also be a secure pill drop at Saturday’s Notre Dame hockey game, sponsored by Drop2Stop – a program started by 525 Foundation that gives people a safe and easy way to dispose of unused prescription pills. Bring expired or unneeded pills with you to the game and drop them off at a table inside the front doors.
Game Info: Saturday, February 15 at 6pm, Compton Family Ice Arena Irish “Wear Green” Night Opponent: Minnesota Gophers GO IRISH! third annual 525 foundation gala with terry bradshaw + special guest
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authorBecky Savage’s two teenage sons – Nick and Jack – accidentally overdosed on a deadly cocktail of alcohol and prescription drugs on the same night in June 2015. Becky and her husband Mike turned their unimaginable grief into a powerful message: educating students, parents, lawmakers and anyone else who will listen about the dangers of prescription drugs. The couple created 525 Foundation (the boys’ hockey numbers were 5 and 25) with a goal of preventing another family from experiencing the pain the Savage family still struggles with every day. To date, Becky has bravely shared her story with more than 60,000 high school students from Indiana to Texas to Oregon and presented at conferences across the country. She’s spoken to members of a United States Senate opioid crisis committee, serves as an ambassador for the Walgreens #ItEndsWithUs campaign and participated in countless interviews for podcasts and news media.
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525 Foundation, Inc.
1400 East Angela Blvd. #146
South Bend, IN 46617
1400 East Angela Blvd. #146
South Bend, IN 46617
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