07/15/2024
Amber’s ACES for ROX – Genesis, Journey, and Mission
I write this note on behalf of a broken-hearted family who lost a beloved daughter, mother, wife, sister, niece, and cousin on May 24th, 2023. Amber Marie (Acheson) Anderson was a smart, personable, kind, and loving person who succumbed to long-time affiliations she just could not conquer. These afflictions were the root causes of her mental health challenges which led to alcohol addiction and eventually, corresponding physical issues that took her away from those who loved her at only 37 years old.
Amber’s challenges were rooted in self-doubt driven by low self-esteem and self-confidence, which began to manifest as far back as her middle school years. Over time, her internal strife, and an inability to find her passion filled purpose in life affected her decisions about relationships, careers, and habits, one of which was alcohol as her way of self-medicating, quieting her mind, and attempting to calm her anxieties and feeling of inadequacy.
Using the energy of our grief, our family is determined to help Amber realize her purpose which was evasive to her in life by promoting her mantra that “kindness matters” and by supporting the mission of Ruling Our Experiences and their efforts to help empower young girls be better prepared for what their future holds but with the self-confidence and self-esteem Amber lacked.
In closing, there is much work to do. Some would say an insurmountable amount of work to do. This assessment reminds me of the tale of the starfish which started with a young girl walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean to save them from the hot sun which would eventually kill them. People watched her with amusement.
She had been doing this for some time when an old man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You cannot save all these starfish. You cannot begin to make a difference!”
The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man with a look of determination and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”
The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had said and done. Inspired that kindness and action do matter, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and over time, all the starfish were saved.
Will you join us on the beach, become one of Amber’s ACES for ROX by visiting rulingourexperiences.com/ambers-aces and help us make a difference in the world by helping as many young girls as possible preventing them from taking the on-ramp to the highway of pain and doubt that Amber traveled?
Thank you from the bottom of my broken heart for your consideration,
Jeff Acheson
