This is an ode to my very best friends from around the country. I've lived in a little town where they make Gerber baby food - Fremont, MI as a kid. We moved to NW Montana as a teen (or hell as I referred to it.) I moved back to MI and then on to Virginia as an adult. Then we moved to Colorado in . I've lived a little bit of everywhere and all along the way I've gathered great friends - some friends I've recently connected with and some who have been there since the beginning of my so called life.
One of those friends who have stuck by me even when Mike refused to "allow" me to hang out with her recently moved back to Colorado from the wilds of Illinois (are there really any wilds in that great state?) She made a special trip to my office to give me a hug on a day when I was feeling sorry for myself. I remembered something in that moment - that I am special and somebody loves me just for me. When I complained that the bed was too big and cold in the winter and I wasn't sleeping b/c I didn't want to sleep alone Carli sent me a heated mattress pad. When I was having a panic attack (which time?) she stopped what she was doing in IL and talked me through it. She's listened to my cry (not that I've done much of that) and she's listened to me scream and yell and want to throw things.
She is just one example of the kinds of friends I have surrounding me and I am so thankful for them. Who knew when I was an angry teenager moving from place to place that it was just preparing me to gather friends from around the country? Who knew the impact each person would have in my life then and now... Male and female, young and old, new friends and old friends - I salute you all today. I wouldn't be where I am without the love, hugs (I'm getting used to it) and calls - even when I don't want to answer.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Father's Day
So today is the day we honor fathers for everything they do for their kids - from spending time with them to disciplining them. I sat in church today and thought back to Father's Day last year. Mike went into the hospital the Friday before Father's Day 2010. Bri was so upset she couldn't see him she spent all of her money on a poster of an abstract guitar that I took to the hospital and Mike loved it. He told everyone how his daughter got it for him knowing he loved guitars and music.
I cried like a baby while sitting in church thinking back to that day and I just remember thinking Mason didn't even call his dad for Father's Day knowing his dad was in the hospital. I don't remember if I called my dad for Father's Day that year but I'd like to think I did.
In those six weeks Mike was in the hospital Bri saw him once. Kids under 18 were restricted from entering the hospital because of the H1N1 virus. We had to get special permission for her to go to the hospital to see him. It broke Mike's heart not to see his daughter. She was his baby girl and spoiled to boot.
Tomorrow Bri leaves on another mission trip. She heads to Joplin, MO to help clear the debris from the tornado that hit. She came home from voice lessons last week and told me about a virus that was in MO killing people. I googled it and found out that 5 people had died from mucor fungal infection. This meant nothing to Bri except she could die while in MO and she was a little worried.
This probably doesn't mean much to most people. It means the world to me - Mucor Fungal Infection is the fungus that Mike died from. Bri doesn't know this (she doesn't read the blog.) It freaked me out enough that I called the Department of Health in MO to check it out. I'm happy to report there's nothing major happening and Bri will be going on the trip.
Mike is looking down from heaven at his baby girl and smiling b/c she is such a selfless, loving, giving teenager. He left this world with the best parts of himself when we had Bri. She has his love of music and sense of humor and energy. This is a salute to her father!
I cried like a baby while sitting in church thinking back to that day and I just remember thinking Mason didn't even call his dad for Father's Day knowing his dad was in the hospital. I don't remember if I called my dad for Father's Day that year but I'd like to think I did.
In those six weeks Mike was in the hospital Bri saw him once. Kids under 18 were restricted from entering the hospital because of the H1N1 virus. We had to get special permission for her to go to the hospital to see him. It broke Mike's heart not to see his daughter. She was his baby girl and spoiled to boot.
Tomorrow Bri leaves on another mission trip. She heads to Joplin, MO to help clear the debris from the tornado that hit. She came home from voice lessons last week and told me about a virus that was in MO killing people. I googled it and found out that 5 people had died from mucor fungal infection. This meant nothing to Bri except she could die while in MO and she was a little worried.
This probably doesn't mean much to most people. It means the world to me - Mucor Fungal Infection is the fungus that Mike died from. Bri doesn't know this (she doesn't read the blog.) It freaked me out enough that I called the Department of Health in MO to check it out. I'm happy to report there's nothing major happening and Bri will be going on the trip.
Mike is looking down from heaven at his baby girl and smiling b/c she is such a selfless, loving, giving teenager. He left this world with the best parts of himself when we had Bri. She has his love of music and sense of humor and energy. This is a salute to her father!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)