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Saturday Baking and Appreciating Life…’Tis the Season for Sweet Insight
19 days ’til Christmas. How did THAT happen? We ask that question every year, don’t we? The hub-bub is underway: decorating, shopping, wrapping, card-writing, card-receiving, baking…. Yes, it’s baking time…. that one time of year I, a T2 Diabetic, actually spend time with copious amounts of sugar. Don’t get me wrong ~ I would all year, except I’d invariably overdose on sugar and be as big as a house. When your body doesn’t process insulin properly, that’s what happens. Not a good thing. A few weeks ago, Baby Sister sent out an invite for her Holiday Cookie Exchange. At first, I told her I’d probably not be able to attend, because Sundays are sacred when it comes to getting…
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Please Don’t Come to My School When You’re Bald, Mommy: Helping Wee Ones Understand Cancer {Slice of Life}
I have two sisters. I am the oldest. And the bossiest, they would tell you. Whatever. I adore them. More than they will ever know. I adore their children even more. Their respective other halves are pretty awesome, too, but this post isn’t about the adults. Mostly. It’s about wee ones. And cancer. And understanding. And strength. Here goes….. Recently, just two weeks into #BabySister’s chemotherapy, she sent me a text message that broke my heart. To be clear, there have been many since this journey began, but this one was particularly difficult: Yes, our sister is a fighter. Her strength is her shield. She’ll tell you, “She’s Got This” ~ loud.and.clear. Let there be no…
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No Shave November: Hair Today … Gone Tomorrow??
Married to a mountain man? It sure has seemed so lately! As November comes to an end, so does my husband’s newest addition. I noticed several weeks ago that his goatee, or ‘goat’ as we call it, had begun to …. ummm…. expand. The usual clean-shaven cheeks gave way to the scruffy weekend look (which was weird for a guy in finance! Think: clean cut, well-dressed M-F). Me: Honey?? What’s that?? Mr: What? Oh, this?? (caressing the scruffiness) Me: Ummm… yes, that. Mr: Oh, I decided to participate in No Shave November. With recent events related to cancer in our family, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, since he couldn’t shave his head in…
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Phase 1: And So it Begins…..
A few days ago, in between periods 3 and 4, I noticed I had a handful of text messages. With 25 teenagers shuffling in and out of my classroom every 55 minutes, needing hall passes, homework updates, and hugs when the day is off-kilter, looking at my cell phone is a luxury that happens in a fraction of a minute. Time in a classroom is unlike time anywhere else on the planet. I’m certain of this. With a quick glance, one message stood out: Phase 1 it read. There, looking back at the camera was our beautiful sister, whose hair the day before had been a long braid winding down over her tiny chest as she sat through treatment. Now, a new…
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Sorry, Nurse Ratched
You can’t do that in here! There are privacy laws. Really? You might want to walk away…. Because…. I just did. And will again. You are going through the motions. We are going through the emotions. She is 1 in 8. She is our Baby Sister. She is a mother of three. She loves, laughs, and cries. She adores Danny. And kitties. And dogs. And all things good in this world. She is beautiful. Inside and Out. Her body is betraying her. We are documenting this journey, a life to celebrate. Because… She’s Got This! She will beat it. She is strong. She is our Baby Sister. Please ….…
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Bodacious to Body Conscious: What Cancer Does….
For as long as I can remember, since I was 10 or 11, my chest has been the interest of others. From staring to envy, even jokes by our mother …. my hourglass shape has drawn attention. Unwanted attention. In turn, I developed an unhealthy relationship with my body, most notably, my ‘girls’ – always wanting to hide them or wishing them away. I have been resentful of and embarrassed by my chest. I know, I know… the grass is always greener. I get it. Recently, though… things changed. Almost imperceptibly at first, but growing as the days passed. You see, my baby sister’s newly diagnosed breast cancer has created a new perspective in me,…
words + colors guide the process
