An Anniversary Celebration

Last fall one day my fifteen-year-old step-daughter asked if she could make cupcakes.  She explained that it was her friendship anniversary with her best friend (from first grade!)  The cupcakes were delicious and the girls enjoyed a fun celebration with small gifts, stories recalled from their past, and a renewed appreciation for their bond as friends.

 

 

That experience made me wonder why friendship anniversaries aren't honored more often.  I have known my best friend, KayLynn, for 25 years this month.  Since neither of us is likely to ever have a silver wedding anniversary, I proposed that we have our own friendship anniversary celebration.  Skip the cupcakes - we headed to the beach and the spa in Monterey, California for the weekend of January 18th!

 

 

 

The weather was gorgeous, our room had an ocean view and balcony, and we had a wonderful time.  I think my step-daughter and her BFF are on to something great - why shouldn't we celebrate all kinds of relationships and anniversaries?!  Not to take anything away from the traditional wedding anniversary, but there is certainly room in our lives for the recognition of other happy occaisions, whatever those happen to be.  

Happy Holiday Season!

Somehow December slipped in and there are signs of the holiday spirit everywhere. 

 

Mixed in with all the joy, there are dilemmas that this time of year presents.  Among these are "Who to gift?" and "What to give?"

 

I work at a school and wanted to do something for our support staff.  I certainly didn't want to give anything that needed to be receipricated.  And since there are eleven people in this group, the gift needed to be within my budget.  Here is what I came up with:  I bought these snowman/santa pens from Geddes School Supplies for $.54 cents each and attached a tag to each one saying "Thanks for all you do.  Happy Holidays." 



 

 

This gift is useful, inexpensive and doesn't require a thank-you note or a gift in return = perfect.

 

Here's hoping all your holiday dilemmas can be matched with an easy solution.  

Ten Years Later

Ten years ago today my mom died as a result of breast cancer.

Ten years.  Sometimes it seems like so much longer that my family has been without her.  Some days I have an urge to call her up with news to share before I remember that I can't.  Ten years expands and contracts and remains the same on any given day.

Last month, I made this portrait of my mom through Bank of America's Everyday Portrait fundraiser.  It required a downloaded photo and a list of words that you associate with the person you are honoring.  Bank of America donated $5.00 to breast cancer research for every portrait made and you could download your own tribute.

I don't know how many words I came up with for my mom but I do know it made me go back in time to remember what kind of person she was and how she lived her life.  I got to really think about her in a constructive way, sifting through and choosing adjectives that described who she was during her 56 years on earth.

We all expect to lose our parents at some point in our life but knowing this does not make it any easier.  Many of you reading have lost your own mother or father and know exactly what I am talking about. There are no words, no preparations, no hiding spots to retreat to, that will lessen this sadness.   Our comforts lie in the memories we cherish, the legacy we were gifted, and the way this shared experience binds us to others.

Breast Cancer Awareness

 

 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there are pink ribbons everywhere.  I realize that we are all at different levels for various reasons when it comes to how much we want to know and get involved.  When my mom died ten years ago from breast cancer, I was tired of hearing about it and needed a break but my sister jumped in to participate in the Komen 3-Day Walk.  There is no right or wrong, no pressure or guilt-trips when it comes to Breast Cancer Awareness - you have to do what is right for you, your own health, and your family.  I am going to list a few resources here for you so that you can gather the info that you need at this time.

 

 

 

The facts.

 

The statistics.

 

How to do a self-exam for breast cancer.

 

The Komen 3-Day Walk to fund a cure for breast cancer.

 

How to help fund the research for a cure.

 

There are so many products that donate a percentage of the purchase price to breast cancer research, some during this month and some all year long.  Here are a few that caught my eye:

 

I want one of these, simple but a cute statement.

 

So handy, and I may be able to finally find my phone at home!

 

Make one of these (it's free!) and Bank of America will donate $5.00 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

We have all been touched by this disease, in some way or another.  I hope this post helps you, if you are at a place where you are ready to learn or do more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

A Happy Birthday List

I love to celebrate other people's birthdays (not my own, though) and usually try to give them a handmade card or unique gift.  But, since I'm not the best at time management, the date often sneaks up on me and I don't have anything on hand. 

That's what happened last week when one of my best friends had a birthday.  She is so special to me so I knew I wanted to do something for her.  That morning I got up a few minutes early and wrote her an email, just an email.  She turned 41 (a youngster!) so I made a list of 41 reasons why she deserves to be celebrated.  At first it seemed like a daunting task to come up with so many items but it really didn't take much time. I wrote about her character ("You are always full of energy and enthusiasm."), about our past together ("You were my student teacher!" and "You were with me when my nephews were born and on 9/11."), and some of the reasons she means so much to me ("You stuck with me during a very big change in my life and continued to support me.")  Then I sent it off.  She let me know later in the day how much she loved reading my birthday email that made her both laugh and cry. 

It was easy.  It was immediate.  It made us both feel good.  The next time you want to honor someone on their birthday, I suggest you make them a special list.