Today I am thankful for all of my nieces.  They are all so beautiful and such bright spots in my life.  I love you Cecilia, Jameson, Cameron, Kendall, and Casey!

This post is not meant to offend anyone.  But it is something that I constantly experience on a day to day basis.  I know in my heart people mean well.  And that they want to pay me a compliment.  But I also feel that at times people are trying to make sense of it all when I am told,  “But you don’t look sick.”  “But you look so great.”  “I’ve never seen you look better.” “But you look so beautiful.”

Today I am thankful for the bond my siblings and I share.  I am thankful for Allie’s sense of humor, our goofiness together, and everything she teaches me about courage and perseverance.  I am thankful for Andy’s passion and intensity for everything he puts his mind to.

So I just have to tell this story because it gets me teary-eyed every time. 


Last week when Brad and I were on the road to Cleveland to go for my autonomic nervous system testing, my Mom called to see how my day was going.  She and my Dad had been in Philly visiting Kristen, Jake, and the beautiful Cecilia Jane.  They were headed to BWI airport and we both still had a couple hours left to be in the car. At the moment she called I was struggling.  My back and head hurt, I was nervous, and I was experiencing the anxiety that a trip to Cleveland Clinic usually brings.  I was trying like heck to hold it together.  Sensing that I was near a meltdown, my Mom went into her pep talk, pick my spirits up, cheerleader mode.