now serving number me

To catch everyone up to speed since my last post... last week was a rough one. Unfortunately my friend on life support did not make it, cancer wins yet again. The service for him was beautiful and inspiring but it doesn't erase the fact that there is now his 28 year old widow riddled with medical bills through the roof because our nations healthcare system sucks and when you're sick like that you can't work which equals no insurance. So terribly sad. He could have made it had he found a marrow donor, which brings me to my obligatory awareness bit. If you're white with with leukemia, you have a pretty decent chance of finding a donor and surviving. If you're black it gets tougher. If you happen to be a beautiful bi-racial product of our melting pot of a country, you're pretty much screwed like my friend. Please consider registering for marrow donation here, especially if you're bi-racial, you could end up saving a life.

On a much needed lighter note, today was a big day for my family. Firstly, I braved a one piece for the first time in oh, 20 some years and took Little Sass to her very first swim lesson! The little mermaid did awesome (duh! of course she did) and even dunked her head fully under water fearlessly. The whole experience was pretty amazing, especially seeing my supportive husband on the sideline snapping pics and gloating with pride at his little girl. It's going to be a great summer, especially since I'll be able to enjoy pool parties for the first time in 3 years without feeling the panic a mother feels around a pool when their child can't swim yet.

On a second and super big deal note, I finally feel the sense of accomplishment I've hoped for since finishing my undergrad. Coincidentally, both the husband and I received pretty significant raises that go into effect this week. Getting a raise is always good but when both earners get them at the same time, it's even better. Especially when those said raises bring you to where you always hoped to be. Now I'm not going to talk numbers cause that's just tacky but I've always had a certain number in my head that would allow me to feel successful and accomplished. I'm guessing you have a number too cause really if you don't have something to strive for well, what's the point in trying right? Well today that number finally happened, and then some more. After spending our adult lives striving to get there, today we did, and I'm still under thirty to make it that much sweeter. It feels amazing and great and relieving and grown up.

My only regret is that my dad is not around anymore for me to tell him I did it. He knew that number (you see my dad was really a numbers kinda guy [and the only person I know with a degree in mathematics btw]). In fact in his final days and I was trying to let him know he could let go & I'd be OK on my own, we talked how far away I was from that number. Well less than two years later I (we, more appropriately) did it. I earned my number. Where ever his beautiful soul may be, I know he's smiling down at me and gloating with pride. Just like my husband was on the side line this evening. And that makes me feel complete.