Tonight we attended the Lights Fest along with supporters and Mitchell's Journey volunteers. It was a beautiful event filled with feelings of peace and acceptance.

I had an opportunity to stand before a crowd of a few thousand people to briefly share what our foundation is about and invite them to learn more about little Mitch and the stories we share.

The moment I got home, I made this video of tonight's events which includes video from my aerial camera. Though I have always wanted to participate in an event like this, I wanted more to see Natalie send something heavenward with a note to little Mitch. You'll see that in this video. I deliberately didn't add any narrative because I want its viewers to contemplate their own journey and what message of hope, faith, and love they might put on their own lantern.

We are grateful to the Lights Fest for including our foundation as one of their sponsored charities and for giving us an opportunity to raise awareness and challenge others to get involved.

Below are a few photos from tonight, starting with Natalie's lantern with a note to Mitch.

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Shots of the Festival

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Austin Bennett and His Family

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One of the central themes of Mitchell's Journey is that by lifting others, we too are lifted. Here's the paradox: when struggle we tend to focus on our struggle. Yet, when we lose ourselves in the service of others, we often find ourselves ... even a better version of ourselves. I can speak from personal experience that when I am suffering and choose to serve others despite my sorrows, my own burdens seem light.

So, I want to introduce you to Karalee Bennett, a single mother of two, one of which as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the same condition Mitchell had.

In this short video, she shares a personal discovery on how she's learned to take care of herself while caring for others. I was so inspired by her decision to serve, we made a video so we could share her story.

Mitchell's Journey isn't just the story of a little boy who died, it's the ongoing message of hope, faith and learning to live while we still have time.

Wherever you are and no matter your circumstance, I hope you take a moment to find and serve someone around you. I promise you won't regret it. It's a paradox with a promise.

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A little over a month ago Natalie and I were invited to Zermatt (Utah) to be given the President’s Volunteer Award, which was awarded to us in 2016, under the Obama Administration.

“... when we lose ourselves in the service of others, grief shrinks and we somehow find ourselves … a slightly better version than the one before.”

— Christopher M. Jones | Mitchell's Journey

The award is meant to recognize people who make meaningful contributions to the betterment of society through various forms of service.

Lindsay Hadley (the woman on the right of this photo) and Philip Webb (the man on the left) are both more deserving of such an award. They do so much to help others, with no thought of what they’d get in return. They are the epitome of goodness and abundance. In fact, they have both played a special role in helping Mitchell’s Journey grow and develop.

They are both involved in an organization called Thankful™, which is a non-profit focused on helping make the world a happier place by recognizing and celebrating everyday Thankful moments. I love everything about that organization’s philosophy and efforts. I am grateful (Thankful) they took note of what we’re trying to do at Mitchell’s Journey.

So, we were humbled to be recognized for a brief moment that day – but we knew there was still work to do and people to help. This now hangs on our wall with glad hearts – and we’ve since rolled up our sleeves and got back to work.

I miss my son a great deal. I know Natalie does, too. Though we cannot surgically remove grief, like a tumor to the soul, I have learned we can treat it with gratitude and serve to others. It is my observation that when we lose ourselves in the service of others, grief shrinks and we somehow find ourselves … a slightly better version than the one before.

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Our annual charity run on Saturday (April 22nd) was a great success. Thank you to all that contributed, volunteered and participated, all around the world. The funds raised at that event will help us help families. In the coming days and weeks, I'll not only tell you what we're doing with the money we raised, I'll show you who it's going to and how exactly it's helping others. We keep our promises - when you run with us, you will change lives.

We will share more about the run totals in the coming days as we still have some virtual runners out there. For those who still want to run virtually, we are leaving registration online open until the end of the month. If you register, we will send T-shirts and run medals to you.

There was a sweet spirit at the event that reminded me of little Mitch. Later that afternoon, long after the event, I found myself more emotional than usual. Yes, I felt a measure of grief, but I also felt even more peace ... more than anything, I felt an overwhelming sense of empathy for the families who carry the burden of DMD.

#mitchellsjourney is not just the story of a little boy who died, it's the ongoing story of hope and faith and learning how to live while we still have time.

Little Mitch taught me that when we give, we live.