Power and Passion (29 page)

Sara smiled at her. "That is the best I can
ask for," she said then glanced over at Joan. "And I have to thank
you both again for helping me to make this night happen. I—"

Sara paused, trying to collect her thoughts.
How could she express the gratitude she felt for all the support
they had given her? Not just the logistic assistance or the
technical advice, but these women had given of their time and even
their money to help Sara make her dream of holding an event for
humanity come true. They had gone over and above what she had ever
expected anyone to do for her—and all because they had a common
goal: to help other people.

"Well, I just hope you know how grateful I
am. For everything," she finished in a soft and humble voice,
looking down at her hands folded in her lap. "You have made a great
difference in my life and, more importantly, in the lives of the
Special Olympics participants. This will have a far-reaching impact
not just on the participants and stakeholders but also on our
organization; that was part of our goal all along, and we achieved
it. So if there is anything I can ever do to repay you, just tell
me, and I'll be there."

Touched by her continued sincerity and
warmth, Joan smiled and hugged her sideways. "We three make a great
team, don't you think? This gala was an enormous success. You
already saw the results, Sara. We must have raised about a quarter
of a million dollars tonight just from ticket fees and donations.
More than that, we opened up an awful lot of minds. People who had
never even heard of the Special Olympics before now have it on
their radar. Those were our two goals—to raise money and
awareness—and we managed to do both in spades."

"Joan is right," Maryam chimed in. "Even if
you look only at the numbers, this gala was a success beyond
anyone's expectations." She grinned at Sara then at Joan.
"Personally, I would love the chance to see if we can collaborate
on another project in the future."

The three of them sat in silence for a
moment, basking in the comfort and happiness they felt together.
Throughout this process, Sara had certainly grown as an individual,
as had Maryam, but she realized now that they had also grown as a
team. Through all the months of planning and fundraising and
organizing and managing, they had come to know each other's
strengths and where they complemented one another. There was no
denying they worked well together.

"Well, we'll see, all right?" she said with
a laugh, squeezing Maryam's hand. "Let's get this event wrapped up
first. Next week we'll have the evaluation paperwork to complete
for the event. Then maybe take a few days off…
then
we can
talk about the next project."

Satisfied with the responses, Joan stood up.
"Fair enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my
husband. I think he's—"

Sara stood up quickly, too, letting out a
loud gasp. "Adam!" she said. "Oh, I barely saw him all night. He
must think I'm—"

"Perfectly wonderful?" he said behind her,
and Sara turned around, her cheeks flushing. Adam was standing
behind the couch.

"How long have you been there?" Sara asked,
putting a hand up to her racing heart.

"Just got here," he said with a grin.
"Isabella sent me over to get you three. It's picture time."

Sara just looked at him, and he shrugged.
"Don't ask me. I'm just the messenger," he said then led the three
women back across the lobby.

In front of the ballroom, a small crowd had
gathered near the registration table: David and Ibrahim, Mina,
ZhangJing, Diana, Paolo, and the people from the SO offices who had
come out to help that night. Even a few of the interns were there,
looking lovely in their formal dress and wide smiles, as well as
Nancy, the music-company owner, and several of Adam's hotel staff.
Sara looked down the line of them, at all those different people
who had come together for one cause. And all of them were so happy
that the gala had been such a great success.

"What's going on?" she asked when she found
Isabella. "Oh, you're here," she replied jovially, clapping her
hands together once in front of her. "Good. Come on. It's time for
our group photo."

"What group photo?" Sara asked, but Isabella
was already taking her by the arm and putting her into a spot
between Joan and Maryam. Isabella then placed herself near Mina and
Zhang-Jing. Sara took a quick look to her right and saw Adam
rushing into place at the end of the line. When she caught his eye,
he smiled at her, and she smiled back.

For once there were no butterflies in her
stomach, just a feeling of warmth and joy. To be surrounded by such
compassionate, passionate people was truly a blessing; their love
for humanity and commitment to diversity and social progress both
inspired and fortified her. There, among her friends and loved
ones, Sara felt that she was where she belonged.

www.powerandpassion.net