Pedal Away...

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."--John F. Kennedy

Today I am grateful for:

*Colorful available bikes for hire

The Color White...

"Who in their infinite wisdom decreed that Little League uniforms be white? Certainly not a mother."--Erma Bombeck

The color white conjures up clarity, cleanliness, purity...it also makes a team of Little League cuties stand out.

Today I am grateful for:

*Sliding into home

*Freshly mowed grass stains

*Tide

5:15 a.m.

5:15 a.m. is quite the wake up call on the first day of summer break. Hannah has signed up for 8 weeks of them.

Today I am grateful for:

*My daughter's drive and discipline.

*The Swim Team school bus made available to doesn't-function-before-sun risers like myself.

Being Yourself...

"The best things in life are silly."--Scott Adams

I love teachers who make learning fun, but best of all embrace goofiness when the moment strikes.

Today I am grateful for:

*Mrs. Gellner and her unfiltered goofiness.

From the Heart...

Hallmark cards, gift cards, candles, mugs...

Twenty-five pairs of creative hands beats them all!

Today I am grateful for:

*My son's 1st grade homemade thank you card. A precious gift from the heart.

Rain, rain please don't go away!

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain." --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today I am grateful for:

*Puddles

*Dashing through the rain sans an umbrella!

On My Mind...

It wasn’t until a doctor matter-of-factly informed me I was incapable of having children that the desire to become a mother took a deeper hold. Apparently, growing a massive meningioma brain tumor for a decade--if not longer—was the source of my infertility during my early 30’s. Even after the successful removal of the tumor, doctors maintained their diagnosis. But I was even more determined to have the title of mom bestowed upon me despite having two craniotomies.

Miraculously, nearly a decade ago I proved the medical profession wrong when I finally became a mother with the arrival of my daughter, Hannah. Then, 2 ½ years later my son, Hunter completed our family with his early, but thankfully healthy debut.

Ever since I became a mother, I’ve made it my personal mission to increase meningioma awareness and fund research, especially since meningiomas are the most prevalent primary brain tumor with the majority of them affecting women. However, just like other incurable diseases, men and children from all walks of life aren’t immune from brain tumors. And when someone is told, “You have a brain tumor,” it could be an astrocytoma, glioma, medulloblastoma, or schwannoma to name just a few of the more than 120 brain tumors.

Most are familiar with the more prominent people who have fortunately survived a brain tumor like actors Elizabeth Taylor(RIP) and Mark Ruffalo and recognize the names of those who have sadly lost the brain tumor battle including Ted Kennedy, Tug McGraw and Gene Siskel.
But what about the names you don’t read or hear about like your neighbor or the younger sibling your son plays baseball with unexpectedly stricken and often in the prime of their lives?

Sadly, this insidious disease doesn’t get the press, awareness nor funding it merits. Brain tumors are the leading cause of death in children under 18 and 190,000 children and adults will be diagnosed with one this year alone.

However, hope is on the horizon. The formerly celebrated National Brain Tumor Awareness Week during the first week of May has now merited an entire month to further advance its educational reach while remembering lives lost.

This Mother’s Day not only will I celebrate a decade of raising a healthy daughter and son, but I will continue to have hope that there will no longer be the need for an awareness month or even day for any type of brain tumor.