#83 Win Another Award From The American Cancer Society . . .DONE December 7, 2008

Thanks for all of your kind words about Aunt Mary’s passing.  I had a lot to write about, but didn’t want to jam it all into one post, and my little tribute to her definitely deserved top billing.  My Vegas recap is still in the works (if “in the works” means I need to start writing it), so I’ll save that for later.  Trailing on the end of our whirlwind week that involved a trip to Vegas, a trip to New Jersey and back, and, oh, that almost-neglected thing called WORK, Mike and I had a dinner to go to.  A volunteer recognition dinner for the American Cancer Society.

Remember the award we won last year?

We did it again!  We are proud and honored to be the recipients of the 2007-2008 American Cancer Society’s Greater Pittsburgh Unit Income Development Merit Award. 

We met some amazing people at the dinner.  The woman next to us was a lung cancer survivor and had the most positive outlook.  She’s been through a lot in the past few years and still has some small tumors that are inoperable and will just need to be monitored.  She had always been a worrier about every little thing, but once she was told that she had cancer, the worrying went away.  She felt calm.  She knew it wasn’t her time to go and that she had to make the most of what time she does have left and realized that worrying about it would get her nowhere.  It was so inspiring to talk with her.

We also got to spend some time with the director of our local office.  She showed such an interest in our benefit, our motivation, and our vision of taking the benefit to the next level.  She lost her own mother to cancer 25 years ago, so working for the ACS is not just a job to her. 

Since we had won last year, we didn’t expect to win again this year.  I think both of our jaws dropped open as soon as the announcer said our names–we were stunned!  It’s such a great feeling to have our efforts recognized and gives us even more motivation to make next year’s event a smashing success!

Mike, you’ll be glad to know I saved $3.99 by NOT buying you an anniversary card November 13, 2008

Nine years ago today, I walked down the long long aisle of Heinz Chapel to you.  I smiled at some point, or at least I thought I did, but in all of the pictures I have that scared “deer caught in headlights” look. 

 

Like a lot of brides, I was nervous.  But my nerves were from being the center of attention, having hundreds of eyes all trained on me at one time.  The idea of getting married to you didn’t phase me at all.  But the process? I could have just skipped right on past that “walk down the aisle” part.  And of course our church had a loooooonnng aisle.

 

I remember that day like it was yesterday, yet it was almost a decade ago.  Was it a special day? OF COURSE.  But in some ways it was just a formality.  We had times together before that day that are special (although I could only come up with these pictures without tearing the whole house apart),

 

and we’ve made our memories together since. 

 

That day made it official.  Permanent.  But I like to think that I could show my commitment to you in a more meaningful way than throwing a big party (although we throw some ROCKIN’ parties!)

 

and buying a dress that I would wear for just hours.  You knew of that commitment well before that day, well before that day was even a thought in either of our heads.  And as time marches on, I promise to show you that commitment continually. 

A few weeks ago, when I made the comment to my sisters-in-law that you weren’t romantic, you took it as an insult.  I meant it as a compliment.  I don’t need the traditional perception of “romance.”  I don’t need poetry or flowers or fancy dinners or expensive chocolates (cheap chocolate is fine!).  I don’t need all of the “stuff”; I just need you.  I need you to be there when I wake up in the morning.  I need you to be the last thing I see when I close my eyes at night.  I need you to be able to know how I feel just by reading my expression.  You know when I need a hug, sometimes when even I don’t know that I need it.  That’s all the romance I need.

You call me your bride.  Even though it’s been nine years since we walked back down that aisle together.

 

And sometimes I do really feel as if we’re newlyweds, as if we’re just starting out.  Because I know that there’s so much more for us to experience.  There will be all kinds of good times, which I look forward to.  And there will be bad times along the way, I’m sure, as there always are.  But I don’t have that anxious fear of the bad that I would have if I were on my own.  Because I have you.  And the two of us together can get through anything–I think we’ve proved that over and over throughout the years.

So, on this day of our anniversary, I can’t help but to think that it’s really just like any other day.  And that’s a good thing.  A very good thing.