RR: What first inspired you to begin I Believe She’s Amazing? Why do you feel it is important to recognize the amazing women in our lives?
Madison was a very reserved little girl who was very attached to me and didn’t really take to other people, but she took to Erika so quickly. Within about six months, Erika was coming over to our house. I just had twins and she kept asking if she could come babysit. And so eventually we just said yes. It was instant; everybody fell in love. There was a sense that she was part of our family right from the beginning.
And then unfortunately, at 27 years of age, she was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer. And [she] fought the most astounding, brave battle. She was optimistic. She was spirited. She was beautiful, radiant, just a fireball of energy… she continued to be. And the most astounding thing, I think that hit me during the whole four years, from the time she was diagnosed to the time she passed at 31 just last year, at the end of every conversation we shared she would say to me or my children, “I just want you to know I think you’re so amazing because…” It would be because, “you’re a great friend”, “you’re so smart”, “funny” or whatever it was.
RR: How did the idea for the flash mob come about?
KM: I am a writer and I had written an inspirational women’s gift book that Erika was actually in as well. And originally the idea for this started in the very late stages of Erika’s life and I originally thought it was something to launch to maybe make her hang on longer; something she could be involved in because she loved being involved and inspiring people so much. But she was very sick in the end. I think I mentioned it once, but I am not sure it really registered with her at the time. And so originally it was going to be something that went in hand with the book, and people were going to write in it and talk about an amazing woman they knew. But that was sort of an initial plan; a little egg that was hatching in my mind. And then I was commissioned to write a guide book on social media and I didn’t know anything about social media before. I wasn’t on Facebook; although Erika was, and kept encouraging me to get on Facebook. I wasn’t on Twitter or anything.
Learning about social media, I met a whole bunch of young up and coming social media gurus. [They] were talking about the power of social media, the power of the internet, and how the whole world is changing. How people are really inspired by videos and how videos are so popular. Then I learned about a flash mob and of course I had no idea what a flash mob was. After I saw one, I fell in love with it; I got the goosebumply feeling to see all those people dancing. Dance and music are already so inspiring but to see 200 people dance unison was just incredible. That is when everything changed. And then I thought this is what I have to do: it has to be a flash mob.
All my three children dance competitively. I went to my children’s dance studio and recruited the choreographers, who were more than happy to do it, and recruited 50 core dancers. The other 150 people heard about it on Facebook and Twitter and joined in just because they believe in this cause. So we ended up with a fabulous group of 200 people in this wonderful video. We had one two-hour rehearsal for those first 50 kids at the dance studio; but it was a very fast two hours. The whole 200-person cast rehearsed for six and a half hours on a Saturday; we filmed on the next morning. It was incredible.
The choreographers, I take my hat off to them; they were so talented and so committed to it. They did a fabulous job of making it happen. The only thing that I had asked for was that it was inspiring and uplifting and that I wanted those pictures at the very end. It was delivered beautifully on a silver platter. Everybody volunteered; I didn’t pay a penny for anything. The four videographers, the choreographers, and the dancers all came for their own sense of passion.
Those simple words had such a profound effect on me and on my children, that I wanted there to be something that continued on after she passed away. A legacy in honor for her and also for my children to remember how important she was; what a major part of our lives she was. She was really a mentor to them in so many ways. And I thought it was such a simple thing, but it had such a profound effect that I thought it was the best way to pay it forward and carry on her legacy after she passed away.
Stay tuned for part two.
No comments:
Post a Comment