Meg and Kieran are home from NC. I can honestly say that the fog is really beginning to clear and the gloom is passing. Kieran is making wonderful progress and it seems as though he’s working through the anger issues that he has regarding Molly’s death. Many thanks to Dr. Pat who has been helping Kieran a great deal. The Rowlee house is happy. Gracias, Danielle.

It has been several weeks since I had a good cry but I feel really good and Meighan feels the same. I had to fly to Denver last week for the SIA trade show, and I saw a lot of old friends who I have not seen nor have I spoken to since Molly passed. I had countless conversations with so many people regarding Molly and I managed to recite her battle without breaking into tears. I am healing, Meg is healing, and Kieran is coming to terms with Molly’s death. Having so many of you folks in our corner has enabled us to work through our grief and become happy. It feels good to “live.” Thank you and bless you all….

As I mentioned in the last update, we have organized a big ol’ hockey game in order to raise money for the Molly Rowlee Fund Inc. The Surfers will take on the Boston Bruins Alumni on March 21st. and please check the events page on Mollyrowlee.com for all of the details. The Surfers have a stacked team, we’re feeling pretty good about our chances, but this event is a fund raiser and we’re busy selling ads for the game program, busy selling tickets to the game, and we’re constantly looking for items to sell at the silent auction. Thank you to everyone who has offered to help. This is going to be an awesome event! By the time the game rolls around, we will have The Molly Rowlee Fund Inc. official non-profit 501c tax ID number and we’ll be happy to provide this info to anyone that has made or will make a donation. Please let me know.

Meg and I recently learned that there is a little boy from Hampton that was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma, and he and his family have returned home after his stay at CHB. These folks are the reason why we are constantly rallying in order to pull events together that will help drive contributions to the Molly Fund. As I sit here in my office, I am surrounded by family photos of Molly – I have her “love notes” and hand drawn artwork pinned to my office walls – and it occurred to me this morning that next week marks the one year date when Molly was diagnosed with cancer. February 14th was when we were admitted to CHB, but Molly was complaining of stomach pains two weeks prior. I glance at our family photos and my heart breaks for this family. I can imagine what this Hampton family is now having to face, Meg and I have lived the nightmare, and I’m relived because I know that we can lend a hand – we can all help make a difference in the lives of these people. Thank God that our family had some helping hands to pull us through and now we’re eager to have an opportunity to return the favor.

In more exciting news, there is going to be a Molly Fund snowboard event at Smugglers Notch during the first weekend in March, and I will make it a point to post the update with all of the specifics regarding this event in the next few days because there are a ton of people that are going to be heading to VT. that weekend in order to help us make this event a huge success. We have rooms blocked for those of you that want to join us for the event as well as a Smugg’s shred, so please stay tuned for more details. Santa brought Kieran a Burton Chopper 90 for Christmas, and we’re stoked to spend some quality time with him on the hill that weekend. I hope ya’ll can join us…

If you have had a chance to glance at the many photos of Molly on her Care Page, then I’m sure that you’ve seen a lot of pictures from the “head shaving” St. Baldrick’s event that was hosted by our friends at The Draft in Concord last March. I am happy to announce that we will be supporting the St. Baldrick’s event again this year, March 13th at the Draft in Concord, and I’m hoping that Andy and Laurie will allow me full access to the mic as I think that I can “convince” some folks to shave their heads in order to raise a few bucks for Childhood Cancer Research. This is going to be a great party, lots of kids running around, and we’ll hopefully have some live music from our friends, “Todo Bien.” These guys are rock stars now, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that a few of them will be able to join us for the “Brave the shave” bash at The Draft. Please save the date and I’ll post more info as we get closer to March.

I have written many times over how Molly’s death has truly taught us all so many valuable lessons. You have no idea how much you love your child until that child is no longer alive. I wish that I could honestly say that I immediately became a better father to both of my kids when Molly was diagnosed with cancer but that was not the case. My priorities have shifted, of course, but I have consciously made a huge effort over the course of the past few months to be a better father to Kieran. I was sitting on the plane last week, heading out to Denver, and I was thinking about how much I missed him while he and Meg were in NC and I was overcome with so much love that I couldn’t stop the tears. Tears of joy. I was so happy, so happy that I have been given an opportunity to be a better father to Kieran and I know in my heart that Molly is helping to “open my eyes.” I can’t explain it, but I know that Molly is guiding me and I hope that I’m making her proud.

While I was walking out of SIA on Friday, I walked by the Burton booth and I saw my friend, EM, standing guard and wearing his MOLLY tee. I had to walk over and give EM a hug. I love you for the support, Emmett, and I can’t thank you enough, brother…

Much love and many hugs……

Buck