Sisterhood: How & Why I started a Foundation

by Nikki-Lyn Holm

  ​So I married a widower. Oh, and I knew his first wife.  As scandalous as that sounds, he and I hadn't met until 9 months after she passed.
    You see, Mary Holm was my Jewelry Lady. She was an energetic mother of 3 little ones, who had decided to trade in her engineering hat for a license to sell sparkles and bling with Premier Designs. Honestly, I always thought Mary was such a beautiful and radiant soul. Although we lived very different lives, since I was a single working mom,     I truly admired her, and so we stayed connected via Facebook.
    It was March of 2013, when she told me, in a very calm and peaceful manner during our  phone conversation, that her cancer was back, and she was done fighting it. My heart physically ached as I thought about her young life, and her precious family. I hung up the phone and just wept.
Fast forward 9 months later, as fate would have it,  I met my husband, Mike,  because I "liked" a photo of hers. He shared a sweet and funny message on her Facebook wall. It was super cute, especially since their youngest (Aka: Baby) was crying hysterically on Santa's lap.
    'Tis the season of miracles, because two weeks after we connected via Facebook, we met face-to-face. Which actually took place two days before Christmas. After our funny first date...we both knew. Just thirteen days of dating later, and we signed a contract to build a new home. He proposed and we created our "story book" themed, fairy-tale wedding - In just 4 months. It's a good thing I was a wedding planner in a previous life!
    It really is a small world after all, isn't it?
    As the "earthly" mom of 3 younger children, plus my own miracle daughter, my hands and heart are very full. Along with managing the most important role of Mom first, I also sell real estate, blog, and earlier this year, I felt a calling to sell Premier Designs too. Initially, I thought I could never do Premier Designs because Mary sold jewelry. Now, however, I can't think of a better reason than to keep her legacy alive in our family, by sharing the product that initially connected us - in more ways than one. While we are two different people, we have much commonality. The same husband. The same 3 younger children. And a desire to help people...All derived from Love.
    Before I said yes to sharing Premier, it had been on my heart to bring Mary's foundation desires to fruition. Mary Holm's younger sister Debbie Williams, had died of the same BRAC-1 gene two years before she did. I hope to never be in a situation like this with our younger children, because this type of  cancer is hereditary.
   As many of us know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. With the help of close friends, we have revitalized her foundation vision, which honors both Mary Holm and Debbie Williams. We have named this foundation, "Sisterhood: A Legacy of Love."  Our mission is to help cancer patients feel beautiful through hope, faith, strength, and prayers. We aspire to shower women who are undergoing chemotherapy with encouraging pieces of sparkle and bling. We also plan to help families in need financially, as our foundation grows.
    Our first fundraiser is scheduled on October 18th, 2016 at "Painting With a Twist." The event begins at 6:30pm. Light snacks and beverages will be included. Thank you for your support.
For information about the event...  [email protected]

For more inspiration from Nikki-Lyn Holm visit... http://www.happilyeverreality.com/