BEHIND THE 333 ~ A note from Nancy
Dear Friends:
2020 was a pivotal time in my life like many others - God’s plan to make me a channel for him with a mission to share his love and grace with as many people as possible became ever so clear to me.
I continuously share God’s blessings with others daily. One of my favorite quotes is by St. Catherine of Siena: Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." The organizational name, Be the Difference, was a natural fit but unfortunately it was taken and I was very disappointed. As usual I prayed knowing that God would reveal the right pathway name to me and he did not disappoint.
333 kept coming to mind and I of course connected it with Jesus and the holy trinity, which invariably fills my heart with joy and happiness. What suddenly came to me as well is that 333 is also a reminder of my inspirational brother-in-law and brother firefighter of EMFD, former Captain, Ray Pfeifer.
Ray was a NYC firefighter as well as a member of Engine Company 3 (Pride of the Meadow) from East Meadow on Long Island in NY and 333 was his badge number. My father and two brothers are life members of that engine company as well, and I was the first female member in the early 90’s. Ray was a key leader and advocate in extending the James Zadroga Act 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to be extended through 2090, ensuring health care coverage for 9/11 exposure victims. The Ray Pfeifer Foundation, started by other FDNY first responders ensures that his legacy of helping others stays alive and well within the first responder community.
Being a police officer for over twenty years I had attended too many wakes and funerals, but Ray’s was beyond anything I had ever witnessed and surely ever been part of. There were thousands of people - news cameras, reporters, photographers – there were even people sitting on the roof of the Holy Family Church. His funeral was most extraordinary event of my life and I was moved by the outpouring of love, respect, and gratitude from all that attended – he touched and changed the trajectory of so many people’s lives.
The day of Ray’s burial, my Uncle Jack passed away from 911 cancer as well. I loved my Uncle Jack; he was my Dad’s best friend. He was a larger-than-life figure as well with his smile, humor and unforgettable laugh - I miss them both greatly. I was able to attend his wake but could not attend the funeral because I had to return to Florida where I had been living for the past twenty-four years. My mom was not doing well and seemed to be unusually confused more than the last time I visited. I asked my Dad to take her to the doctor.
I got the phone call three days later that my Mom had heart complications and the extent at that time was unknown. It was that day that I made the decision to move back to Long Island temporarily to be with my parents - I arrived in Levittown on June 28, 2017 and have not left New York since then.
I thought I was coming home to care for my Mom and then God laughed. I was not getting involved in anything other than what my Mom needed. The journey since 2017 is something I could not have dreamed of, never wished for, or secretly told anyone. God gives me countless numbers of daily opportunities to help others in a way I never thought possible and I thank Him every day for his blessings.
So, Be The Difference 333, is God’s channel for me to tell my story, tell Ray’s story, but most of all tell the story of Jesus and how He saved me from my sorrow, despair, unworthiness and today uses me as a light for others. He allows me to share my love, light and hope that anything and everything is possible with God. Thank you, Ray, for all you have done, and continue to do. Your foundation reaches out to so many people, even though you are not here physically, your spirit will forever live on brother. May God continue to bless me and guide me that I may help anyone and everyone who is sick and suffering with whatever wound it is that they have and, may God turn that wound into a blessing, a gift, and/or a new way of life.
Love and miss you Ray – until we meet again.
Just another kid from Levittown,
Nancy