As many of you should know, I recently celebrated another birthday! Now, I won't go into detail about which birthday this was, but 35 sure feels good again! And for those of you who didn't send presents, it's never too late!
I had the pleasure of sharing my birthday with my family (Dad, Cindy, and Sharon) and friends in Dallas. I'll stress 'in Dallas' because I have been on assignment for work continuously since the first of the year. So needless to say, this sistah was ready for a break!!!
The week started with Sharon arriving first. We did the sisterly bonding thing - meeting some of my friends (Lavonya and Diane at the Grand Lux Cafe - yum!) and getting our hair did. My sister still doesn't understand that getting one's hair did is a process (sometimes a looong process) but well worth the end result. And I have to say that she went home with some cool looking hi lights! Watchoutnow!
Dad and Cindy arrived, and let's just say the eating REALLY began! We hit some of my favorite spots (Blue Mesa Grill, Dickie's Bar B Que, Pappadaeux's) and a new favorite, Del Frisco's. An AWESOME steak house, and I'll go on record to say that I am glad it was MY birthday and that someone else was picking up the tab! In between all of the eating, we did check out a few sites: a Texas Rangers game, the Dallas Arboretum, and First Monday's in McKinney. But most of all, we had a great time just being together.
And I cannot forget the presents...one of the best things about a birthday! Some of my presents traveled far to be with me: a special friend sent me two dozen beautiful red roses, I received a GPS system (great for traveling to all of my exotic locales!), a Tassimo coffee/cappuccino/any kind of drink you want maker (great for guests who want java in the morning), a Target gift card (that's MY spot!), and a tons of birthday phone calls and emails.
Over all, I had an AWESOME birthday...I wish that everyday could provide the same great feeling that I get from my birthday being my special day. Even if things go wrong, you can count on something great happening within a few minutes!
Until next year....
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Organ Donation
In the wee hours of the morning today, my aunt underwent a successful heart transplant surgery. She had been placed on the national waiting list on Good Friday, and yesterday received the call that a match had been found.
I am extremely grateful and thankful for the second chance at life that my aunt has been given. At the same time, I also wonder about the person who's heart she received and their family.
In my quest for answers, I found myself at http://www.organdonor.gov/. Did you know that as of April 7, 2008, there were 98,718 candidates on the national waiting list for organ donations? And that each day about 77 people receive organ transplants? These figures leave me speechless and humbled as I think about my aunt and realize how blessed my family truly is.
Probably like most of you, I didn't totally realize the importance and need for organ donors and the impact that organ donation has on others. It is so unfortunate that many times we don't think about the concerns of others until these concerns impact us personally to become our concerns.
Deciding to be an organ donor is an extremely personal choice. But what a wonderful gift to give to someone else! Although my family may never know where my aunt's new heart came from, from the bottom of my heart I thank the person who decided to have the forethought for giving the gift of life.
I am extremely grateful and thankful for the second chance at life that my aunt has been given. At the same time, I also wonder about the person who's heart she received and their family.
In my quest for answers, I found myself at http://www.organdonor.gov/. Did you know that as of April 7, 2008, there were 98,718 candidates on the national waiting list for organ donations? And that each day about 77 people receive organ transplants? These figures leave me speechless and humbled as I think about my aunt and realize how blessed my family truly is.
Probably like most of you, I didn't totally realize the importance and need for organ donors and the impact that organ donation has on others. It is so unfortunate that many times we don't think about the concerns of others until these concerns impact us personally to become our concerns.
Deciding to be an organ donor is an extremely personal choice. But what a wonderful gift to give to someone else! Although my family may never know where my aunt's new heart came from, from the bottom of my heart I thank the person who decided to have the forethought for giving the gift of life.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever Given
Yesterday as I was wondering aimlessly through Target, I came across a book entitled, 'An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love'. The book is co-authored by Richard and Kristine Carlson (the man who wrote all of the 'Don't Sweat the Small Stuff' books).
I have to admit that the title alone caught my attention - many of you know that I am a hopeless romantic! The book is a wonderful, true story about Richard's love for his wife and what he would do if he only had an hour to live. What is ironic about the story is that it was written on Richard's 18th wedding anniversary as a gift to his wife, and 3 years before he suddenly died on a business trip.
For the past few weeks, I have been re-evaluating my life and trying to find more balance in it - balance between my job and the relationships in my life that are important to me. I am sad to say that I have allowed some of my personal relationships to suffer due to my career choices. This book helped to reaffirm for me that I need to actively pursue getting the balance back in my life.
If I knew that I only had an hour left to live, I wouldn't want to spend that hour trying to make telephone calls to my family and friends to let them know how I feel. I want them to always know how I feel about them, and starting today I am going to start doing a better job of that!
I have to admit that the title alone caught my attention - many of you know that I am a hopeless romantic! The book is a wonderful, true story about Richard's love for his wife and what he would do if he only had an hour to live. What is ironic about the story is that it was written on Richard's 18th wedding anniversary as a gift to his wife, and 3 years before he suddenly died on a business trip.
For the past few weeks, I have been re-evaluating my life and trying to find more balance in it - balance between my job and the relationships in my life that are important to me. I am sad to say that I have allowed some of my personal relationships to suffer due to my career choices. This book helped to reaffirm for me that I need to actively pursue getting the balance back in my life.
If I knew that I only had an hour left to live, I wouldn't want to spend that hour trying to make telephone calls to my family and friends to let them know how I feel. I want them to always know how I feel about them, and starting today I am going to start doing a better job of that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
