Parenting Through the Unknown
- Jessica Lee
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Last Tuesday morning, our club member Jason Obermeier shared something far more meaningful than a presentation. Through his remarks about his daughter Clara, Jason invited our club into a deeply personal experience marked by love, uncertainty, resilience, and hope. It was the kind of story that does not ask for sympathy as much as it asks for presence. It asked us to listen, to care, and to remember that some of the most important things we offer one another are not grand gestures, but steady companionship.
A Family's Love
Clara, a Disney-loving, very vibrant, and determined four-year-old girl diagnosed with Usher Syndrome type 2A (a rare, progressive condition and the leading genetic cause of combined deafness and blindness), at just over a year old. A diagnosis like Usher Syndrome changes the landscape for a family. It introduces difficult questions, emotional weight, and a path no parent would ever choose. Yet what came through most clearly was not fear. It was devotion. It was the quiet courage of parents choosing, day after day, to move forward with love even when many answers remain unknown.
Rotary is often recognized for its work in the community, and rightly so. However, what Jason's message reminded us is that Rotary's strength begins much closer to home. Before service becomes public, it is personal. It begins in friendship. It grows through trust. It is revealed most clearly in the moments when one of our own is facing hardship and the club responds not only with kind words, but with genuine support and encouragement.
Why we do what we do
We serve because people matter. We lead because encouragement matters. We invest in our community because we believe no one should face life's hardest moments alone. Public service and personal care are not separate values. They come from the same source. A club that knows how to care for its own members with sincerity and compassion becomes stronger, wiser, and more authentic in the way it serves the world around it.
At the Rotary Club of the Capital City, we are proud of the impact we make in our neighborhood. But we are equally grateful for the friendships that shape who we are. Jason's presentation was a moving reminder that Rotary is more than a network. It is a community. It is a place where people can find purpose, belonging, and support. Clara's story, and a family's love, helped us see that more clearly.
We invite you to join us
Bring your heart for service, your desire to connect, and your willingness to be part of something larger than yourself. You may come for the community impact, but you may stay for the friendships. And in the end, you may find that both matter more than you ever expected.
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