5 for Fairness

if you want to catch a lot of rain, put out a lot of teacups...

Mima was my sister.  She was a sweet and unfailingly sensitive member of our large Irish-American clan. She loved house-painting in a large group, baking (and eating!) brownies, sweaters in many colors and making sure visitors felt welcome. And she always, always, sided with the underdog.

She died far too young in 1981. She was only 19.

My Mom and I are matching this grant cycle's donations in her honor because we know that, if she had had the chance, Mima would have wanted to make a difference in the lives of girls around the world. That's just who she was.

Let's do the math (but very little, because Mima hated math)...

Just enough to say that our Grant Account now stands at $1758 which means we need another $3242 to reach our next grant.  But, thanks to Mima's inspiration, we actually only need $1621 before we can pick our next worthy grantee. And if each of our 328 members donates anew, guess how much the average donation needs to be?

$4.96. Kind of perfect, don't you think?

If you donate in this next grant cycle,  I hope you'll add a few words in the comments on this post.  If you knew Mima, you can share a memory of her.  If you didn't know her, tell us why you donated this time.

Thanks, 5fers.

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What a fantastic photo of Mima! I love the mischievous glint in her eyes. I so wish I had known Mim more the last years of her life. I rely on all of you to share your fondest memories of her teen years.

When I close my eyes and conjure Mima up in my mind, I see a beautiful blond-haired child laughing with joy as she sits on the edge of my lap, holding my hands,waiting for the next "ride" on the pony of my knobby knees. I sang, "Riding on a pony down a long country lane, Mimi hums a song, holding onto his mane. All of a sudden her pony sees a snake, and he runs faster and faster and faster to the lake. And Mimi starts to jiggle and Mimi starts to fly until she can't hold on and she lands with a cry"...at which point Mima was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor between my legs. She laughed until she got the hiccups and always begged for more rides. I loved Mima's love for such simple pleasures in life. And nothing makes anyone feel better at any moment on any given day than the ability to bring joy to someone else's life.
To Mima with love,
Maria
Thank you so much, Maria. I can't tell you how much it means to know that she is still alive in the hearts and minds of those who loved her.
Can you tell us how you lost Mima and what you would like the money to go to in her name?
Hi Judy:
Mima died of an illness that doctors could never accurately diagnose. She was in and out of the hospital for much of the three years before she died. The not knowing what was the matter, and the helplessness that everyone felt around her illness made a horrible situation even worse.

My Mom and I will match any contributions to the Grant Account until we reach our next $5000 and we'll be happy for that next grant to go to whichever Team the group decides is most deserving. We'll all vote on it, just the way we always do. I know one thing for sure: Mima would be very proud to know that, all these years gone, she is helping to make the world more fair for girls.

Anna
You're welcome! I hope you get a lot of posts about Mima.
Thanks, Stacy, for donating to our Grant Account! I thought that whenever anyone donates during our matching grant who didn't know Mima, I might write a little post about her. I realized this morning that next year in July it will be the 30th anniversary of her passing. Thirty years! I How can that be?

Here's a picture of Mima when she was just a smidgen. Back than, her name was Mimi. (More on her name change later....)


How cute was she?
Incredibly cute :)
And thanks to Paulina, for donating to our Grant Account!

Mima was number eight - out of nine, yes, nine kids in our family. Here she is with Terry, number 7.


Growing up in a really big family is not always easy. I tended to deal with it by trying to find ways to be alone. When we traveled in a group, I was always so embarrassed by the messy, loud, bigness of us all that I would sit apart from everyone else and pretend I didn't belong to to them.

Mima wasn't that way. She loved being part of things, and always sought out connectedness.
I love the photo of little Mima. She has a very fine posture - very much in charge! I'm sure she'd love 5 for Fairness! xo
You are so right, she is definitely in charge. And what about her sunhat? Come ON!

And yes, I do think she would love 5 for Fairness. Absolutely.
Thanks to Valle for donating to our Grant Account in Mima's honor!

Here is Mima (and Peg, Stephen and me) adoring our babysitter Monica, on her wedding day.


We all thought Monica was an angel (she may well have been, taking care of all of us the way she did!). Is Mima not the most adorable thing you have ever seen in her pink and white dress, the pixie haircut, and that smile?

One of the great sadnesses of her early death is that she never got her day in the veil and the long white dress, nor all the love that comes with it.
seems like she was surrounded by love every day. Thanks for sharing these stories. I think losing a sibling is like losing a limb. My little brother died 18 years ago and I think about him all the time ...

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