Some of you might remember that I posted a message here and to a few communities, asking you to send My Little Ponies to Gwen Zak to put a smile on her face after a difficult summer. The background is below, as is the address to send more ponies. I just want you all to know that the magic is working!

I received this from Gwen's husband (known to many of you as k-mac) this morning.


We have Pony sightings!

A lovely assortment of 6 free-range ponies (one was even a First Gen) was hand-delivered to Gwen on Saturday by a good-hearted wandering traveler (you know who you are). I wish everyone could have seen the big surprised eyes and huge happy smiles as Gwen opened the box. She was just glowing. The new ponies are now perched at various points on the bookcase at Gwen's side of the bed, joining the trio which has been watching over her. Now they can take shifts.

And today she got a pony in the mail, "Star Catcher," sent by a thoughtful stranger from (I think) filk fandom. This pony is new-in-box, having just escaped the corral at Toys-R-Us. Star Catcher is a pegasus horse, and has a pink heart on her flank and a rainbow mane. Gwen doesn't quite know what to -do- with a MIP pony, since she first found and became fond of them at garage sales, but I am trying to reassure her that it's not just permissible to open the package, it's The Right Thing To Do.

We are both so grateful for the love and concern and good energy flowing in Gwen's direction. There is no doubt in my mind that it makes a real difference.

-Michael

(P.S. I am reassured that this package arrived safely--it was addressed to Gwen alone, with my name nowhere to be seen, but the Lansing PO allowed it to be delivered to my box anyway. I hope if anyone has a package returned to them, though, that they'll get in touch with me.)



As a reminder, here is the address to send ponies to:
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
P.O. Box 22066
Lansing, MI 48909-2066


Why should you send a pony to Gwen Zak?
Well-loved artist, filker, and all around beautiful and shiny person Gwen Zak suffered a moderately serious heart attack in mid-June. If you are a filker and you don't know or remember Gwen, chances are you have heard her song "Circles", one of those filks that has actually become more popular than the song whose tune it borrows. I first heard that song in the pagan community, ten years before I had ever even heard of filk.

Gwen is a lovely person who loves lovely things. She loves, for example, My Little Pony (not unlike some other very shiny filk persons on my friends list), and she really likes to rescue old My Little Ponies by buying them at garage sales (although she appreciates new ones in the box, as well)! I know things are tight for everyone out there, but I also know how much even one My Little Pony will brighten Gwen's day. Suppose you have a few old ones lying around in your garage or your attic, or you're a collector and you have some duplicates. Or suppose you're passing by a garage sale (boot sale over here, and yes, apparently MLPs are different in the UK) and you see a couple of shiny ponies for sale on someone's table. What if you, yes, you, whether or not you know Gwen Zak personally, picked up that pony and put it in the post to the address I'll put at the bottom of this message? Imagine what a boost to her day it would be if she got just one My Little Pony in the mail from a thoughtful person miles away, just to brighten up her day. Imagine the smile on her face if one day she received two My Little Ponies from two different people. Gwen needs our strength and love, good thoughts and good energy, and she loves those ponies. When things are rough, it can often help to see a physical representation of all those good wishes. With each pony (or, you know, each shipment ;>), please write a little card to Gwen. Send her a good wish.

It's OK to pass this message around to your friends and other filk groups and communities, and you emphatically do not have to say where it originated. Gwen's the star here, not me.