I never thought I would start a blog. Sharing my feelings in a public forum doesnt really fit into my personality. Jeremy has a blog. He's encouraged me that I should start one because I am always throwing out ideas for him to write about. But, I just never thought I would. My friend Ellen always told me i needed to write a book about my life. I think this is the closest i will get to that :)

However, because of some different events that have happened over this past year, I have decided that maybe if I start writing down some of my thoughts, maybe they may help or encourage someone. I have no set "theme" for the blog. Its not about Riley, or our family, or soccer, or my faith, but rather it will be about all of that and then some. I wont tie myself down to some set topic or topics. So, sometimes I may write about Riley, sometimes soccer, sometimes just complete nonsense. And perhaps, maybe after 2 wks, I will decide that this "blog life" is not for me, and then I will just stop. Who knows?!? I am a bit unpredictable like that.

But, the catalyst that got me to start this blog, is my friend mary claire. This past spring, Mary Claire was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) and passed away 4 days later on April 7,2008. It was very sudden and a complete shock. The kind of thing that stops you dead in your tracks and makes your stomach feel like it has eaten your heart and fallen out of your body. The kind of thing that you think about all the time.

So, Jeremy and I were home this weekend and went out for our once a month date :) Riley was at home w/ my parents, so we had some time to just BE. We went out to dinner and when we walked in, saw Mary Claire's wonderful parents. I had not seen them since Mary Claire passed, and Jeremy had never met them. We talked for about 20 mins, mostly about MC. Before they left, Mrs.Satterly took a wrist band off her wrist that she wanted me to wear…on the band it says W.W.M.C.D...what would mary claire do. It meant the world to me and I'm honored to wear it. But, it got me thinking...what would mary claire do??

The wrist band is a simple reminder that can go one of two ways. First of all, about mary and the person she was.
Mary Claire was a high school friend, but the kind of wonderful and rare person that you could go a year w/out seeing or talking to, but when you saw her, it was like no time had passed. We grew up together, played soccer together, hung out together...she was a special person to me. The kind of person that when she fell down, didnt sit to think about it, but got right back up. The kind of person that I respect a lot. She was a fighter. So, what would she do under any adverse circumstance, well, she would fight. What would she do when things got tough, she would persevere. She wasnt one of those lukewarm, average people that just goes with the flow. She was passionate, and caring, and full of life and energy. The kind of person that lit up a room when she walked in. Mary Claire was special and though her life was brief, it was meaningful and touched so many.

The other way the wrist band gets me thinking is…what would Mary Claire do if she knew she only had a few weeks left to live. What would she do if she had been given a warning, or been told a month in advance that this awful disease was going to steal her life at such an early age??
What would we do? How would our life change?
What if you knew you only had a month left? How would you change your life...how would you change your priorities?

Suddenly, your work doesnt seem as important, and your family seems more important than ever. Maybe you dont flip off a slow driver, but you slow down yourself, turn up the radio and sing your heart out while going 10 mph. Maybe you dont mindlessly watch television for an hour, but you go do something for someone else.

I believe that every time we meet someone, its a chance to impart something. Maybe just a smile, maybe a kind word. But its a chance to make their world a little happier. If we knew our time was limited, how would our brief encounters be with the strangers we meet? How would our relationships with our family and with our friends be different?? What would Mary Claire have done differently if she knew she was going to pass at such an early age?

Two days after Mary Claire died, my grandfather-Boom-passed away. He was a proud, strong-willed and stubborn (I think I can thank him for some of my stubbornness :) ) man. I admire his strength and mentality so much. But he was also very kind and generous. No one knew how generous he was. He was the kind of man that did things anonymously…he never wanted recognition…he never needed recognition. He understood that to give with expecting something back, really isn't giving at all. The night before he died, I told Jeremy that I wanted to call him to check in. I was too tired to do it then, so I said I would call him tomorrow afternoon. The next morning I got the call that he passed away. I will always regret being too tired to call him that night. My respect and love for him runs deep and I miss him all the time. I am sure I will have another blog entry that is entirely about him. He taught me far too much for me to try to squeeze it into a paragraph or two. I could prob write a book about him and the man he was.

I think we all need to be reminded that life is short. That it is easy to get caught up in "life" and forget about "living". And its easy to get priorities mixed up. I am sure that most of us claim that God is our first priority and our family is our 2nd…but how many of us really LIVE like that?? I challenge everyone to put themselves last…to think of others first…to live a life where everyday you wake up thinking, "how can I make someone else's day/life brighter?". Go out of your way to help someone. Show the people you love that you love them. Actions speak much louder than words…show them! Saying you love someone and showing someone that you love them are two different things! Send them a note in the mail, call someone you haven't called in a while but think about often. Don't stop short of doing something for someone else because you are tired and can do it tomorrow.

So, my first official blog, has been inspired by my friend Mary Claire, and my granddaddy-Boom. They both lived lives that impacted so many, and they both have left a piece of themselves that I will always carry. My wristband is going to be a constant reminder to live a life without regrets...to live a life for others and to daily leave a piece of myself with someone else!! I hope this blog inspires you to do the same!!

I may write a again tomorrow, maybe next week, maybe never...but check back just in case :)

for more info about mary claire or to contribute to her foundation, please visit www.mcspirit.org