Quote

“Because life is a living, breathing work of art, you are a painting as you go. Be a masterpiece. Drink in life. Laugh too loud. Compliment others constantly.” —Nicole Johnson

Neat Article

Neat article about a fellow Ewing's Sarcoma survivor, Destiny Aull:

Click here for article

Happy Holidays...so much to be grateful for!

Love,
Rachel

Quote for Jenny

Because life is a living, breathing work of art, you are a painting as you go. Be a masterpiece. Drink in life. Laugh too loud. Compliment others constantly.
—Nicole Johnson author, performer, motivational speaker

In honor of my friend Jenny who passed away last week from a cancer very similar to mine...this quote reminds me of her. She was truly amazing and lived life SO fully. There is much to be learned from her. She did so much in her 23 years... Love you, my friend.

Today, I am grateful for Jenny's friendship, my friends, family and God.

Rach

Awesome Askin's Tumor Survivor!

Inspirational...Lymphoma and Askin's Tumor survivor-Sean Swarner




Today, I am grateful for friends, family, God and hope!

Rachel

Yesterday...

was a 'big day'. And while I wish I could...I can't go into all the details. The first thing that happened was I had lunch with the dean from my college and a development officer. They wanted to take me to lunch to congratulate me on my Glamour award, etc. It was a nice time and I am grateful to have met them!

Later on, I met with some other amazing people (not related to the lunch meeting-different people, different purpose). They had traveled from across the world to meet. With some help interpreting, we were able to have a wonderful time and dinner together, including some people that I've grown up knowing and a couple local new faces too.

I am grateful for these experiences and meeting such inspiring people and cannot wait to see what the future holds!

Today, I am grateful for a mostly great week, friends, family, prayers and God!

Rachel

Yesterday Was Blessed Chaminade's Feast Day

Blessed William Chaminade has been such an inspiration to me in the way that he lived his life. I wrote a post about him awhile ago-click here to read it.

His feast day is January 22 and I celebrated in my own quiet way but was unable to make the special service in his honor.

Today, I am grateful for weekends, for having a productive Friday, friends, family and God.

Rachel

Great Holiday Story

Click here for an inspiring, true story!

It is really a neat story about an angel at a Pediatric ICU.

Today, I am grateful for a day off to study and stay inside-away from the chilly outside, friends, family, and God.

Rach

I'm Back!

Whew, I'm recovering from another whirlwind trip in such a short period of time mixed with all other aspects of life...(Next trip: 1 day road trip on Thurs. Lots to get done before then! Midterms are next week, etc...)

Anyways, this trip was through the American Pain Foundation (great organization, awesome people!) I am on their Pain Community Advisory Council. This gathering was with their Power Over Pain Action Network. It was a great group of people leading the country in change for the pain community-leaders from different states, etc. Everyone who lives with pain has a lot to thank these people for! They are very dedicated and do it mostly as volunteers!

All of these trips revive me, yet exhaust me. I try to think of the reviving part-the positive energy of these people on my journey through life and their inspirational stories.

Today, I am grateful for a day to catch up on errands, school, and REST, for family, friends and God-who are all there for me and I try my best to be there for them.

Rach

Sark, Etc.

I was perusing the September issue of Marie Claire magazine the other day and came across a small article about one woman's quest to help with stress in her life. The author-Judith Newman- went to a seminar about balancing her body/mind/spirit and learned about meditation. The part of the article that I underlined and focused on was actually something she learned from one of the instructors, Nancy Plumer. In Newman's words....

Plumer talked a great deal about reframing the problems in our lives. "Everything that is a 'have to' is stress," she said. "Stress happens when you don't have choice." She then suggested alleviating tension by changing all those "have to's" into "choose to's." So, "I have to visit my mother" becomes "I choose to visit her; it makes her happy and I love her."

This was similar to the very inspirational words I heard tonight from Sark at her book reading for her new book, Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper (which I excitedly bought after I was a bit drawn in by her speech, humor and glowing energy). I encourage you to check her site out if you haven't- www.planetsark.com

She asked what if you do something bad-which we are all so worried about-what would happen? Nothing really, right? So just live life!

Today, I am grateful for friends, family, experiences, meeting inspirational people and God.

Rach

The Nature of Excellence

Thanks to my friend Julie for sending me this...




Today, I am grateful for a beautiful day looking for places to live, a nice dinner and excited for tomorrow's charity walk and dinner with friends, for family, life, friends and God.

Rach

End of the Year

What a wonderful end of the school year (and beautiful distractions that make me think less about that 'pain stuff')...Hard to believe that I had my last class at my college but I'm ready for the 'one door closes, another door opens'...

Before my last exam, I briefly spoke at a charity benefit at a fancy shoe boutique on the behalf of The Wellness Community. (My prof was amazing enough to let me come to the exam late so I could do this). Anyways, it was quite fun with yummy appetizers, good music and very inspirational people, as usual. The lady who sticks out though is a woman who approached me. She said when she was 23 she had cancer in her arm and had to have her arm and shoulder removed. She looked at me and told me how she never thought she'd see the day when she was 40 and here she was-almost 60 with a husband and 3 kids! She took me by the shoulders and told me-you'll get there too :). Very cool moment!

Tonight I went to a great art fair, had some father-daughter bonding and was inspired to come home and do some painting...so I better get to it!

Today, I am grateful for friends, family, God, fun, art, the rain holding out tonight, exciting things on the horizon

Rach

Neat Idea

I was talking to an old friend the other day and she had a really neat idea:

I have a dry erase board on my wall, and on it is a list of people I constantly pray for, and think about often, most of them are people that inspire me and people I never want to forget, even if I don't talk to them for a long time. -Annie

Thanks sweetie!

Today, I am grateful for a fabulous weekend with extended family, friends, parties and celebrating life.

R

You know I love quotes...

Oklahoma City Bombing's Survivor Tree (I actually took this pic!)

After surviving the bombing, The Survivor Tree elm became an emblem of the Memorial

We are all survivors...

but the trouble with being a survivor

is that you find yourself dancing alone a lot.

It is a tricky seesaw on which the survivor has to sit.

One the one side is your ability to be comfortable

in a world inhabited only by yourself.

And on the other side is your desire

to share your time with others.
How do you balance your time?
Being a survivor is not a bad thing,
but you do run the risk of being the last one
at the party when the punch bowl is empty
and the confetti has turned to dust.

-Jimmy Buffet

Today, I am grateful for: friends, family and fun days and being with family for the holidays and prayers

Rach

Inspirational Video

As some of you know, I am a sort of representative for the Lance Armstrong Foundation...I was honored to be accepted to their summit in the fall of '06 and then I was one of two people from my state chosen to represent them in Washington D.C. to talk to Congressional members last May...I really connect with their manifesto and here's a neat video of it:





Today, I am thankful for: time with family and friends, love, joy, God.

Love,
Rachel

Don't Blink!

My favorite song right now:

Don't Blink

Kenny Chesney

I turned on the evening news

Saw an old man being interviewed

Turnin' 102 today.

Asked him what's the secret to life

He looked up from his old pipe

Laughed and said all I can say is:

Don't blink,

Just like that you're six years old

And you take a nap

And you wake up and you're 25

Then your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.

Don't blink,

You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

Turnin' into moms and dads

Next thing you know your better half of 50 years

Is there in bed and you're prayin' God takes you instead

Trust me friend, 100 years goes faster than you think

So don't blink.

Well, I was glued to my T.V.

When it looked like he looked at me

And said, "You best start puttin' first things first."

'Cause when your hour glass runs out of sand

You can't flip it over and start again

Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth.

Don't blink,

Just like that you're six years old

And you take a nap

And you wake up and you're 25

Then your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.

Don't blink,

You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

Turnin' into moms and dads

Next thing you know your better half of 50 years

Is there in bed and you're prayin' God takes you instead

Trust me friend, 100 years goes faster than you think

So don't blink.

So, I've been trying to slow it down.

I've been tryin' to take it in.

In this here today gone tomorrow world we're living in

So...Don't blink,

Just like that you're six years old

And you take a nap

And you wake up and you're 25

Then your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.

Don't blink,

You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

Turnin' into moms and dads

Next thing you know your better half of 50 years

Is there in bed and you're prayin' God takes you instead

Trust me friend, 100 years goes faster than you think

So don't blink.

No, don't blink.

Don't blink.

Life goes faster than you think, so don't blink.

Life goes faster than you think.

Don't blink

Don't blink

Life goes faster than you think...

Today, I am thankful that: as far as I know I am cancer-free, that Thanksgiving was glorious and that it distracted me from this recent terrifying pain, for my amazing massage today, Dr's appt tomorrow and a day of rest, and friends and family and God and hope.

Love,

Rachel