Life is a gift... Untie The Ribbons: August 2009

This past weekend, My Aunt & Uncle moved down to North Carolina from New York. They left behind a beautiful home they'd lived in since I was a baby. They also reluctantly left behind grandchildren and many, many years of wonderful memories. It was a big move for them, but we are so happy that they are here!

Helping drive the truck was the second oldest cousin, Paul. We haven't seen one another in MANY years, so we've spent the last two evenings catching up, laughing, reminiscing...& drinking entirely too much wine!

We decided that when drinking Two Buck Chuck, there's no need for a glass!

Auntie Kim & Meg

Paul & Em

Aunt Annie served dinner on her beautiful blue china, but when it came time for dessert, she was the only one who didn't get a dessert plate. Instead, she used the cardboard bottom of the cake as her plate!

Choosing the right picture for the wall turned in to a heated argument!

Do you have one? Probably not. If you've received a cancer diagnosis, you undoubtedly have one. It may not be written down, but it's in your head and you mentally check off the items if you're lucky enough to have them come true. Friday night, I checked off #3 on my list. It went down like this...

The venue did not allow photographs or autographs, but they didnt' say anything about video, so T snuck this video while the venue snapped their own photograph. In case you don't recognize us, that's me meeting Rick Springfield for the first time! A dream come true. #3 on my bucket list checked off. What you don't hear on the video is me explaining my condition and Rick saying, "you're going to beat it".

What led up to that point in the evening had to be some of the most beautiful moments I've experienced in my life. The concert was set up on the lawn to the side of the Biltmore Estate. The views were breathtaking. On one side you viewed the massive Estate, on the other side were the mountains & on the other was the stage. I felt like I was on top of the world while looking down through the clouds. We were seated 10 rows back from the stage, which provided an unbelievable view of Rick. Beside us were two girls from Raleigh with whom I shared stories about Rick during the entire evening. We danced & screamed together at the top of our lungs...& the best part was, they also had backstage passes to the meet & greet! And then, just as it was probably meant to be, while the crew was breaking down the stage from Loverboy & setting up Rick's stage, a little old man seated in front of us turned around to talk to us.

It was a flashback from 27 years ago. Just like my Dad was sitting there with earplugs at my first Rick Springfield concert, so was this man. He didn't come to see Rick. He was just there to see an outdoor concert at the Biltmore & this one seemed to be the best one to see of the summer. As we were talking, he mentioned that his daughter was in Spain celebrating the removal of her portacath. Immediately, I knew exactly what he was talking about. His daughter had cancer. Without a word, I slightly pulled my top to the side and showed him my port & the tears welled up in his eyes. His daughter Camile is also a 38 year old breast cancer survivor. We talked about my cancer story and hers and he asked questions that I'm certain he was never able to discuss with her. He was so kind, just like my Dad. His 38 year old daughter is fighting cancer, just like my Dad. I don't know if I gave the man hope or encouragement, but speaking with him was such a gift for both of us. Just before Rick came out, this sweet man said, "you know, you learn to really enjoy life after you've received such a diagnosis, don't you"? I said, "I've learned to enjoy each & every day". He said, "you're right...a good cup of coffee, a crisp Fall afternoon". Life truly is a gift, my friends...untie the ribbons.

Below are some more pics of our weekend in Asheville. T & I decided to go back to Lake Lure & take the lake tour this time. It was a GORGEOUS afternoon. We wound our way through the mountains on our way back to the interstate. It may have taken us a bit longer to get home (we'll be purchasing a Garmin this week), but we enjoyed every moment like a "good cup of coffee".

Loverboy...Lovin' Every Minute of It