This has been a crazy week, or basically a crazy day yesterday. Yesterday Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucett passed away. Tonight I watched "Farrah's Story" on tv about her journey with cancer. She had cancer for 1/2 of the time my mom has been battling and you just watched it take her toll through the ups and the downs. I feel the same way about the journey that my family has been on with my mom's own battle. I was too young to see or notice the changes with my grandma's battle and her battle was short lived, but my mom mentions from time to time "now I know what my mom went through". It's so hard for anyone of us to understand what my mom goes through, when I think about the days she has sometimes because of her cancer, because of her chemo, because of her battle. Tonight I watched Farrah's story and how hard she fought, how positive she was, and even the people around her ... she went through scans and tests all of which I recognized the names and thought mom's had that ... mom's done that ...
So sitting here tonight in my grandma's house it makes me feel sentimental, and I'm sure watching Farrah's journey has contributed. I think about the past, how I still miss my grandma every day but I feel closer to her living in this house, I feel like she is looking down and saying to herself this is how it should be. Just the other day I had a bad day and on my drive home I saw a beautiful rainbow and I thought thats my grandma saying hi melissa, don't worry life's not that bad today and it made me smile and think I have a great life, a great family, I see my mom all the time and I'm happier than I have been in a long time. I never knew how much I missed them and how much I missed my life here in florida. Don't get me wrong I think it's important for everyone to "leave the nest" and spread their wings, but being here for my mom and dad I just know that this is right.
Of course days like yesterday losing two people that you've watched on tv for ages it just makes you think, life is short and you never know what tomorrow will hold. My mom lives with that fear each day fighting her cancer, from doctor appointment to doctor appointment she never gives up and I admire her so much for everything. Our recent family vacation was one that I will never forget. I even said today .. I miss Holland. I could live there if it wasn't so freaking cold.
So for today life is good, I sit here with my cat at my side, my doggy having funny doggy dreams by the pool, I've had dinner at my mom and dads all week since phil's been gone to Atlanta and its been nice. I know my mom won't ever give up, but I also know that she has days where she thinks life sucks and I don't blame her. The future is uncertain, but you have to stay positive and I just hope with all my heart that one day (soon) they'll find a cure for cancer. It's a terrible disease and I don't know if I've ever met anyone who has not been affected either themselves, a friend, or a family member by this disease. I realized today too that I've probably been wearing my Livestrong band for a few years now.
Tomorrow I'm off to New Orleans for a big conference on Sunday, monday and tuesday. I'm looking forward to it. It should be fun and exciting, plus I get to yo yo all day (because that's our way of getting people to come to our booth ... yes light up yo yos). Also I've never been to New orleans so this will be another first in a year of traveling.
Rest in peace Farrah and Michael ... your deaths have made us all reflect on how unexpected, sometimes unfair, and short life can be.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
No Way ...
Tomorrow my dad turns 60 years old and my response is ... no way. I have to blog about this now on a Monday night as I'm thinking about it. I forgot to blog on my mom's birthday ( Happy Birthday mom!) which was last weekend and then yesterday on my brother's birthday (Happy Birthday Pat). Ever since our trip from Holland we've had the Birthday bananza ... my mom celebrated her bday with a nice dinner at their house as we were all still trying to overcome our jet lag. Pat's birthday yesterday was nice, everyone came over, Phil cooked, and we played some ping pong. Tomorrow night we'll be going out to dinner so dad can have a night off of cooking for his birthday and I think I'll be just too stuffed to type! I hear dad is also going to run and ride his harley tomorrow =)
So back to the reason for this post ... no way my dad is turning 60 tomorrow when he doesn't look a day over well a day over as far back as I can remember ... which is quite a while back. My dad and I have always had a very close bond. We have the same personality, mentality, philosophy on life, same injuries, same humor, same most everything ... i guess you can say we relate. We even have the same pace in running which is why all the years I lived at home if on a weekend I was given the choice to either exercise with dad or mom I would pick dad. You see my dad ran at just the right pace and went just the right amount (as apposed to my mom who ran faster and longer - right mom!). We always joked that one day we'd go full circle ... meaning when I was little I used to accompany him on my bike as he ran every weekend, then probably around the time I was in high school we would run together with our trusted 1st dog Pitha, and then there was supposed to come a time where I would be running and my dad would be on a bike or a wheel chair or a scooter ... basically something with wheels. So here we are and my dad is 60 and I don't even feel like the time is near at all when he's going to need a bike or a scooter and then I think I really don't want to run next to my dad when's HE'S on a bike ... he's a dutch-man and well that would just be cheating.
So here's to you dad ... 60 years young =) Happy Birthday! I love you!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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