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| Cassie and Taylor
The picture was taken at the 2012 Leukemia and Lymphoma Man and Woman of the year kickoff at the Chinook Tavern on March 16.
Taylor was giving Cassie some pointers on ballet out on the patio. Taylor,age 7 was the Girl of the Year for the Rocky Mountain. Taylor is undergoing treatment for (AML) Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Cassie, 15 years old quipped, "You are never too old to learn ballet."
I chose this as my favorite picture for several reasons. Most of all, the moment captured in this picture gives me great hope.
Taylor was diagnosed with AML on September 30, 2008 at the age of 3. Without a bone marrow transplant she had less than a 20% chance of survival. Taylor received a bone marrow transplant February 5, 2009. Taylor's Mom said during her treatment , "If her toes were tapping, we knew she was okay," Well Taylor is still tapping her toes!
I had the honor of nominating Cassi to run as a Woman of the Year candidate for one of the Leukemia and Lymphoma's society's signature campaigns. To see Cassi take on that challenge at the age of 15, be a source of love and support and inspiration for Taylor and even learn a few ballet moves along the way is something I will always hold close in my heart.
I was so glad I had the opportunity to see all the candidates come together that night and make a stand for a world without cancer.
Cassi and Taylor give me hope for a better world. A world without blood cancers, a world filled with love and hope and yes, ballet!
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Showing posts with label Reverb12. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reverb12. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Reverb 2012-My favorite picture
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Reverb12 on 12/12/12
Today's prompt come comes from me.
What’s something you notice about yourself, what's something you would like to change?
I was at a board meeting tonight for my chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and after the meeting ended we were having a holiday party at the home of the board president. There were probably 20 or so people that were congregating in the kitchen and I found myself standing in the corner of kitchen, all my myself. A passive observer, not a participant.
These are people that are not strangers to me. Some of the staff members of the board I have known for many years and yet there I stood by myself, in my aloneness, unable to join in the conversation in the small groups that had formed.
How many times have I found myself in this situation over the years? Feeling like an outsider even when surrounded by people that I know, people that I care about.
I eventually struck up a conversation with a society funded researcher who was standing by herself. We chatted for a bit about her move to Colorado, how did she like living in Boulder. I thanked her for her efforts to find a cure for blood cancers and looked to say goodbye to a few people before I left.
What I noticed was that familiar feeling of wanting to hide, to not be noticed. I hoped no one noticed that I was off standing by myself and I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone did. I am quite good at not being noticed, being a ghost.
The conundrum for me is that while I crave the safety that the cloak that invisibility offers me is that I so want to feel connected. I have become an expert in my life at being alone. Straight A student, honor roll, class valedictorian.
There are times that I feel so alone and the feeling is born from not letting people in. While being a ghost is safe, it is not a way of being that nurtures the soul.
Years ago I was at a Landmark forum seminar and one of the exercises was to walk around the room and introduce yourself and describe how you show up in the world.
"Hi, my name is Ross. Please don't hurt me." I said that over and over again. I have said that at other seminars. It is how I show up.
What I yearn to say is, "Hi, my name is Ross. Please get to know me. I am lovable and capable. I am worthy." I so want to raise my hand and use my voice.
What’s something you notice about yourself, what's something you would like to change?
I was at a board meeting tonight for my chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and after the meeting ended we were having a holiday party at the home of the board president. There were probably 20 or so people that were congregating in the kitchen and I found myself standing in the corner of kitchen, all my myself. A passive observer, not a participant.
These are people that are not strangers to me. Some of the staff members of the board I have known for many years and yet there I stood by myself, in my aloneness, unable to join in the conversation in the small groups that had formed.
How many times have I found myself in this situation over the years? Feeling like an outsider even when surrounded by people that I know, people that I care about.
I eventually struck up a conversation with a society funded researcher who was standing by herself. We chatted for a bit about her move to Colorado, how did she like living in Boulder. I thanked her for her efforts to find a cure for blood cancers and looked to say goodbye to a few people before I left.
What I noticed was that familiar feeling of wanting to hide, to not be noticed. I hoped no one noticed that I was off standing by myself and I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone did. I am quite good at not being noticed, being a ghost.
The conundrum for me is that while I crave the safety that the cloak that invisibility offers me is that I so want to feel connected. I have become an expert in my life at being alone. Straight A student, honor roll, class valedictorian.
There are times that I feel so alone and the feeling is born from not letting people in. While being a ghost is safe, it is not a way of being that nurtures the soul.
Years ago I was at a Landmark forum seminar and one of the exercises was to walk around the room and introduce yourself and describe how you show up in the world.
"Hi, my name is Ross. Please don't hurt me." I said that over and over again. I have said that at other seminars. It is how I show up.
What I yearn to say is, "Hi, my name is Ross. Please get to know me. I am lovable and capable. I am worthy." I so want to raise my hand and use my voice.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Reverb 12 Day 11
Today's Reverb prompt comes from Victoria Musgrave
Anticipation: What is one thing you are most looking forward to in 2013?
Anticipation: What is one thing you are most looking forward to in 2013?
I have several things that I am looking forward to in the upcoming year.
Sue and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in April.
Laura is getting married next summer and I look forward to walking down the aisle with her as she begins her life with Chris in July.
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| Chris and Laura at the Louvre, Paris France 2011 |
Most of all, I am looking forward to is turning the final page on the last 30 months and getting myself back on the horse as it were. I am excited about the new path that I find myself on.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Reverb12 Day 5
The prompt for today comes from Hope Wallace Kearney
List out 5 things you do not want to forget from this past year, and write a bit about why you do not wish to forget...
List out 5 things you do not want to forget from this past year, and write a bit about why you do not wish to forget...
- The Winter Cocktail kickoff party for Cassi's Woman of the Year campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There was so much excitement and hope that evening. It is a memory I will always treasure.
- Attending the Celebrate Your Life conference in Chicago with Sue. Highlights were the keynote speakers, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, Marianne Willamson and Don Miguel Ruiz. Sessions with Michael Beckwith and Panache Desai were amazing.
- Wrigley field Tour with Adam and a baseball game at a very quirky Wrigley Field. Special memory with Adam. Wow, are we lucky to have a beautiful stadium to watch our less than stellar baseball team.
- The Aurora movie theater shooting. I do not want to forget the people who lost their lives simply because they chose to attend a movie that night. Adam and his co-host Dario hosted a show on Mile High Sports the day after the shootings that gave their listeners a chance to begin the healing process. The tone of the show was perfect, respectful, hopeful. I will never forget how beautifully Adam and Dario handled such a difficult situation.
- Climbing Mt. Evans with Laura and Michelle. One down, 53 more to go. How blessed I am to be healthy enough to be able to climb a fourteener and better yet that I have the memory of this day with Laura.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Reverb12 Day 3
Today's prompt comes from Hope Wallace Kearney.
Did you try anything new in 2012?
Was there anything that you did in 2012 that was a new experience? What was it? What was it like? How did it make you feel? If you did not try anything new - was there a reason? Something holding you back?
I did several new things this year. One has been on my bucket list for several years which I finally achieved. One thing was something that I never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would do.
Earlier this year, I did a fire walk, walking 15 feet on a bed of hot coals as part of a breaking through fear into power workshop. Much to my surprise, the fire walk was somewhat anti climatic.
This summer I climbed my first fourteener, Mt. Evans with my daughter Laura and her friend Michelle. Colorado has 54 fourteenr's, which Michelle called "our epic and stupid fourteener adventure." I felt very alive during our epic and stupid adventure.
I signed up for a on-line writing class and also took a couple of writing workshops. I wrote my first creative writing pieces since I was in high school. I never thought I could write anything that was creative and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the writing classes the best.
I also dabbled earlier this year into learning Drupal, HTML, and CSS. My first experience in trying to learn this was met with considerable frustration as I told myself that I wasn't smart enough to learn this and that I was also too old. Most recently I dove back into this learning a different programming language called Ruby and I have been surprised with how much fun I have had doing this.
I also gave blood for the first time in my life shortly after the shootings at the Century 16 theaters that occurred less than a mile from my house. I have given blood two other times since then and I have found this to be something that makes me feel very good, to be able to contribute to my community.
Did you try anything new in 2012?
Was there anything that you did in 2012 that was a new experience? What was it? What was it like? How did it make you feel? If you did not try anything new - was there a reason? Something holding you back?
I did several new things this year. One has been on my bucket list for several years which I finally achieved. One thing was something that I never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would do.
Earlier this year, I did a fire walk, walking 15 feet on a bed of hot coals as part of a breaking through fear into power workshop. Much to my surprise, the fire walk was somewhat anti climatic.
This summer I climbed my first fourteener, Mt. Evans with my daughter Laura and her friend Michelle. Colorado has 54 fourteenr's, which Michelle called "our epic and stupid fourteener adventure." I felt very alive during our epic and stupid adventure.
I signed up for a on-line writing class and also took a couple of writing workshops. I wrote my first creative writing pieces since I was in high school. I never thought I could write anything that was creative and I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the writing classes the best.
I also dabbled earlier this year into learning Drupal, HTML, and CSS. My first experience in trying to learn this was met with considerable frustration as I told myself that I wasn't smart enough to learn this and that I was also too old. Most recently I dove back into this learning a different programming language called Ruby and I have been surprised with how much fun I have had doing this.
I also gave blood for the first time in my life shortly after the shootings at the Century 16 theaters that occurred less than a mile from my house. I have given blood two other times since then and I have found this to be something that makes me feel very good, to be able to contribute to my community.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Reverb 12 Day 2
The writing prompt for this day comes from Kat who writes from Melbourne Australia.
What was your most significant expenditure in 2012?
It doesn't have to be necessarily the biggest expenditure, just the one with the most impact.
What difference has it made to your life?
The expenditure with the biggest impact for me was under 50.00. I attended a Sarah Mclean Seminar about beginning a meditation practice at Journeys for Conscious Living. I bought a book and a CD and began my meditation practice on June 24 and I haven't missed a day since I started.
It is the first thing I do every morning and I spend anywhere from 15-40 minutes. It has been a great way for me to start every morning. It is nice that a very inexpensive expenditure led to a great impact on my life.
What was your most significant expenditure in 2012?
It doesn't have to be necessarily the biggest expenditure, just the one with the most impact.
What difference has it made to your life?
The expenditure with the biggest impact for me was under 50.00. I attended a Sarah Mclean Seminar about beginning a meditation practice at Journeys for Conscious Living. I bought a book and a CD and began my meditation practice on June 24 and I haven't missed a day since I started.
It is the first thing I do every morning and I spend anywhere from 15-40 minutes. It has been a great way for me to start every morning. It is nice that a very inexpensive expenditure led to a great impact on my life.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Reverb 2012
#REVERB12 BUTTON. This explosive and colorful Reverb Button was done by the blogger Ms Curlypops. It is being used by the bloggers participating in #Reverb12. You see it on the right side of this blog entry!
I will be blogging throughout the month of December following various writing prompts from the web. Today's prompt comes from Kat who blogs from Australia. i am not sure how often I will be reverberating, but for now I have a streak of one day!
How are you starting this last month of 2012?
Take a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath and ask yourself the question: how do you feel...
... in your body? in your mind? in your day job? in your creative life? in your heart?
I would say that I am beginning the last month of the year in a state of curiosity and I also think I am going to choose that as my word for the upcoming year. To be curious, an active desire to learn or to know.
I have spent a good deal of time over the last several weeks immersed in a new programming language called Ruby which utilizes Ruby on Rails as the framework for building web applications. This has opened up an exciting possibility for me as I can see myself doing this and having fun in the process.
I can see that learning Ruby will have practical benefits as well as benefiting an aspect of my creative life.
I have circled around where my writing could take me and then curiously the more things I do to develop a writing practice seem to lead me away from actually writing.
For the month of December I hope to write more frequently in response to the Reverb prompts as well as participating in The Twelve Days of Love Letter Writing.
So as I begin this last month of December, I feel a renewed sense of optimism that I haven't felt in some time. I am open to the new challenges and curious as to where this might lead to.
I am excited about learning new things, reading just for fun and writing.
My hope for this month and beyond is to be open, to be childlike in my curiosity, to be open to wonder.
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