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5-18-01

"HankTheOneAndOnly" An internet name like that sounds so arrogant doesn't it? It's not meant to be. I try to be a humble person, however; one day I typed it in at a moment of great frustration.

You see, Best Of The Boards had changed to a new group that required me to sign up with them in order to post on the message board. No problem I thought, "candlehank"! After all, how many people on Best Of The Boards would go by candlehank? A message came back telling me it was already taken. I was shocked! I tried Hank this and Hank that and they all were taken. I thought to myself, "How can that be as I'm Hank, the one and only Hank that post on BOB? HankTheOneAndOnly I typed in as if to tell the system off, and it went threw.

I decided to keep it knowing that people would know it was me, candlehank. After all, most of you have read my post and know me. A few years ago, I went to my first conference and was inspired by Diane's dream of finding a cure for cancer. It became my dream as well as cancer had hit my loved ones hard and soon after, my problem as well. From that time on, many of my most popular post have about our ACS drive and living with cancer myself.

The next year, I had the honor of being on stage and seeing thousands on lights of hope breaking the darkness along with a chant to raise a million. It was such a powerful moment to know that Diane, I and thousands of you all had the same dream. With all of us working together, I knew a million dollar dream would come true. It looked like it was going to be close right up to the end, however; we pulled it off!

I wanted to make an impact in the lives of others the following year and wrote many post about raising money, going to your doctor for check ups and relating the pain cancer causes in families. I even had the honor of speaking at the $ellabration of the Stars retreat giving me a chance to raise more money and at the same time bringing the hard facts of the effect cancer will play in our PL family.

After Conference last year I had even bigger dreams for the year ahead. It wasn't meant to be. Shortly after conference I felt changes in my body that were not good. Being sick so often, my friends stopped booking partied knowing I most likely would be to sick to do it. I took a 40 hour a week job and was in so much pain that my doctors told me to apply for disability and quit my job. Pain, depression and 3 major illness had killed my dream. I was no longer Hank the one and only! I had become hank the former PL consultant, hank that no longer post to inspire, hank that raised little or no money for the dream, I was just another hank among the thousands in this country.

I had a lot of time to think about what had really changed WITHOUT ME. The sad truth was not much.
The sun still came up in the morning and set at night.
Rain still fell and the winds still blew.
New units were born and regions formed.
Candles sold and hostesses still canceled shows.
The one thing that did change is that the dream for a cure would be missing an important part of its hope in happening. You see, the dream to find a cure is a dream that's so big that it takes each and every one of us to keep it alive! Diane can't carry it alone, I cant carry it on my own and neither can you. It will take each and everyone of us to work together to keep the dream alive. DREAMS DIE WITHOUT YOU!

We need you, every one of you to help carry this huge dream! Are you doing all you can or even some of what you can? Are you passing a sock at your shows and buying tickets at your regional meetings no matter what the prize? Is your region listed in the Reflections? It's not just about you giving money that keeps our dream alive. Take a look at the dream and see what part you can play. Can you do a self exam and see your doctor if it's been a wile? Can you collect money at your shows to give? Can you encourage and uplift a PL family member that's taking a beating from cancer? Can you sell a Dragonfly in June? Can you do one act of kindness a week? With PL dreams really do come true, even finding a cure, however; it can't happen WITHOUT YOU!

This past week just when I had thought my reach for the dream was over and I had no longer made an impact in our ACS drive, I got a call from the home office. The voice on the phone let me know that a donation to ACS was made in honor of HankTheOneAndOnly, however; they could only list Hank in the Reflections. Like a Light From Above, In a huge Marquise in the sky; a few friends had reminded me that I'm still a part of our dream after all. I wouldn't be, WITHOUT YOU!
                        
I love you all so much, Hank

last updated July 06, 2005