I have to update you on this incredible story.
Do you remember my beautiful cousin, Danielle (My First Best Friend) and her husband Scott? Well it has been over a year and I have to share this beautiful clip with you.
Videos tell the best stories.
She is so inspiring.
He is so inspiring.
They love they share is so inspiring.
I hope you found a little smile, a little bit of joy and maybe some hope for your day, your family and your life.
What an incredible story!
A return trip to Alaska has been on my list for a few years now. As many of you know, I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for 3.5 years. Though I am a Michigan State University fan through and through and began my undergraduate degree at MSU, my true Alma Mater is University of Alaska Anchorage.
I moved to Anchorage in 1998. I left to pursue my doctorate degree in 2001 and this was my first chance to get back there to explore that beautiful state.
When I look back to 14-17 years ago, I hardly recognize who I was at that point in my life. So much has changed in my entire being, that truly feels like a completely different lifetime.
Stepping off the plane and driving from the airport to our hotel was surreal. All the little neurons that hold memories of that place started to fire in my mind. I could remember some streets, but not all of them. I could remember the layout of the city, but still needed a map. It was such a familiar place yet so far away and removed that it had a really cool and new feeling to me.
Our first stop was University of Alaska campus. When I lived there, I wore very different clothing. All of my logo wear from UAA was oversized hoodie sweatshirts and I needed to update some of those pieces. Being back on 
campus was surreal. I completed 3.5 years on that campus but it was so foreign to me. Did I even go here??? 3.5 years of my life is a long time, long enough to have traveled that campus by foot to and from class over and over and over again, it seems like I should remember something. It was like being in the twilight zone and being in a place I had never been before.
I decided to purchase an alumni license plate cover so that I can see it on a daily basis as a reminder of that era of my life.
Completing that visit to campus, we heading out towards the mountains. Our destination was Denali National Park. The drive was incredible; the mountains, the water, the scenery, the music in the car, the conversation, the memories, the company, all of it. It was so great to be back.
The days are long in Alaska this time of year. In fact, the days never end once you get far enough north. The sun sets but it never gets dark and I am not sure it actually sets as much as it tucks behind the mountains for a few hours.
The next day we took a 12 hour bus ride into Denali National Park. If you ever go there, you can only drive your car 15 miles in. Anything beyond that, you have to get on a shuttle bus. When you go, get on one of those buses because there is so much more to see out there beyond 15 miles, that is just the tip of the iceberg.
The day finished with a hike to our campsite. I think the hike was a little over a mile, or 2 miles or more miles if you take the wrong path. Yup, absolutely found that out through experience.
I am renewed and refreshed in the mountains. I am renewed and refreshed with lots of hugs. I got a lot of both of those things by the second day of vacation.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfknbGVDjHY[/youtube]
My return to Alaska was such a tremendous experience. The lessons are trickling through my days as this week has gone by. Pictures do not do the place justice…but I tried. Stay tuned, I have a lot more to share.
I headed over to Grand Rapids a few weekends ago to watch my friend run the River Bank 25K. He is not used to someone being interested enough in the road race scene to want to travel the distance to sit for a couple of hours and watch. What he is learning is that I am interested, however, I am not going to just sit and watch. There was a 5K and a 10K option for that morning and I figured I could easily pull one of those off.
You all know that I run for medals. I don’t always need a participation medal when I am finish a long distance race…wait, yes I do. I knew there was a rather large and fancy medal involved for the 25K, that is 15.5 miles and kind of a big deal! Maybe I could finish that distance? “I think I can.” The seed of “25K finisher possibility” was planted and my mission became to find out if there was a medal for 5K and 10K participants, and if so, how big?
We walked around the expo and picked up his number. They were still taking registrations for all 3 races however I found out that the 5K and the 10K finished with an “oversized lapel pin”. I am not sure what size “oversize” is but I did know that the 25K medal, if I could finish it, would be totally worth the trip to the west side of the state, and the seed of “25k finisher possibility” started to grow.
So I sat down to fill out the registration form and since the seed had been planted and was growing, when it got to the place that I had to check the box for which race I was going to run, I checked the 25K box. I figured there is a chance that I cannot finish that distance. There is also a really good chance that I COULD finish it and HUGE PAYOFF of getting to sport that medal around my neck for the rest of the day. “I think I can.” I have run a marathon, many half-marathons (13.1 miles) including one last fall, however the longest distance I had recently run was only 6 miles.
I was nervous. I was very, very nervous. My friend and I started the race together and I told him “I am pretty sure I am in over my head right now.” He looked over at me and said “I bet you will surprise yourself. See you at the finish line.”
So I started. “I think I can.”
And I kept going. “I think I can.”
And going. “I think I can.”
And going. “I think I can.”
The miles were ticking down. The 11-minute-mile pacers passed me at mile 8. From that point I was determined not to let the 12-minute-mile pacers pass me no matter what.
At mile 12, just when I thought I couldn’t go on anymore, I saw a woman running with a metal stick in her hand. When I looked closer, I realized it was the 12-minute-mile pacing group. They were not going to pass me. I would run with them but they are not passing me. That is just the simple facts here, they are not passing me. “I think I can.”
I allowed my strides to be determined by the woman holding that sign. She was one of the most excited and upbeat people I had seen all day and I was so very grateful for her enthusiasm. I needed it.
If you have ever run that particular race, it finishes in the downtown area with an uphill section leading to the finish line. There are moments in all of my long distance running that I find myself in tears of gratitude just for the simple fact that my body allows me to do something like that. I got to that hill and that tears-of-gratitude point all at the same time and I began to hyperventilate. I am running and training almost everyday, but was in awe and disbelief that I could run 15.5 miles with so little long-distance training (this is not something I recommend) and feel good. The hyperventilation forced me to slow my pace and lose that 12 minute group but I could see the word “finish” stretched across the street so I just let go. “I can.”
Finishing that race is a really proud moment in my life. Overcoming the limitations of what I think I can’t do is a big deal to me and is what makes life so rich. We have to brush up against our limitations in order to really push them and having those 2 phrases “I bet you will surprise yourself.” and “See you at the finish line.” are just what I needed to make that happen that day.
I want to leave you with a question…What limitations have you put on yourself and have you ever tested to see if they are accurate?
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” -Henry Ford
I think I can.
I was a lucky kid. I got my spine checked and adjusted by a chiropractor for as long as I can remember. I went to an office right here in town where CRUST is located right now. My mom took my brothers and I at least once per month to make sure we were growing and developing normally.
This morning I started a woman under care that is 82 years old. She was an absolute delight and she got talking about this “old chiropractor that used to be right downtown Fenton” that she used to go to and take her children when they were growing up.
It just so happens to be the same chiropractor that my family went to.
I have to share the story she shared with me. You all know we see a lot of children at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic however sometimes I don’t get a chance to really share much of the “WHY” we see children.
She started off with a story of her son, when he was 10 years old, decided to parachute off the neighbor’s roof using an open umbrella. Mary Poppins flew around with an umbrella and everyone can probably see exactly why a child might try to make that happen.
This young man came crashing down and fortunately wasn’t hurt too badly…or so they thought at the time.
The very next morning this young boy woke up and couldn’t talk. He could move his mouth but no voice or sound would come out. They immediately went to see their medical doctor. That doctor ran all kinds of test on this young boy, all tests were negative. They sent him home with breathing treatments and some sort of cough syrup. While he was on breathing treatments and syrup, he was able to do some talking but it had to be a constant daily regimen. It never resolved it, just kept symptoms at bay. After some time, the medical professionals recommended surgery to help this issue however they only gave them 50/50 chance of regaining his voice and the other half was losing his ability to vocalize completely.
Mom started wondering “how am I going to tell this 10 year old boy that he cannot talk much and cannot talk loudly and to save his voice?”
Her chiropractor at the time mentioned that maybe she should bring him in and see if he could help with this issue.
“Talking and voice issues and chiropractic care?” Ultimately she decided this has to be better than surgery and they would give it a try. Within just a few short months of starting regular chiropractic care, he healed. His voice and ability to vocalize returned to normal.
So how does this work? Children jump and fall and traumatize their bodies all the time. The nerve system is the master control center of the body and is housed within the spinal column. If there is interference in the connection wires of the nerve system, the body cannot heal and grow and develop as normal and all kinds of things can be a little bit “off”. Over time, that little bit “off” can build up leading to further stress and even further diminished communication within the body, and potentially symptoms.
The nerves in the neck supply all the things in the head, face, shoulders, arms and hands. Guess what? Vocal cords and ability to use your voice is controlled by nerves in the neck. If the nerves are off, thing can go a little haywire. This young man had interference in the nerves in the neck even though he did not fall and land on his head.
The bottom line is the body works better with a good nerve supply. Does chiropractic care fix voices? No, we help normalize the body and allow it to heal. Chiropractic care was discovered when an adjustment restored hearing to a man that had gone deaf. Does that mean chiropractic care cures deafness? No, not a chance. We are always assisting the body to do its job better…all of its jobs.
I feel so lucky to have been checked and adjusted since I was little. If you ask all of my brothers, they would say the same thing and are choosing the same for their children right now. Fortunately for me, I get to care for those precious littles since we all live close to each other.
If we take care of the spine in the younger stages of life, there is a higher potential of growing, healing and developing normally and that is why we see so many children at the Cafe of LIFE. I loved this woman’s story because I think we all know a child or were a child that thought we could fly or at least wanted to give it a try!! I also love this story because it reminded me of where my love for chiropractic first started.
I am opening up this conversation to everyone. If you have questions about your children and how chiropractic could help them, reach out and let me help you understand better. Email me at erica@cafeoflifefenton.com. I would love to hear from you!
This is one of my favorite artists…
After reading this a couple of days ago, it struck me that over the past 2 months, I have sat still and listened. This life I am leading is very different from even just 2 short months ago.
My entire being has shifted and let me explain what that actually means for me.
I was pretty content in living a life of service. I have spent the past 10 years really happy and fulfilled in being a chiropractor and helping people daily in my practice Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic.
I LOVE being a chiropractor. There is absolutely nothing that I would change about how I spend my days in this wonderful community…giving, loving and serving. I get to see miracles happen right in front of my eyes. I get to be part of families in the community and get to watch them grow. Truly every single day I am blessed and honored to be part of people’s healing process. It is a calling in my heart and in my soul to do the work that I do at the Cafe, a place that is truly a second home to me.
In my personal life, I have had hopes and dreams and visions of my future. I choose to spend most of my time in the present moment, however I am always headed in the general direction of a well calculated destination. Life happens in the journey, in the mundane of the everyday, and not once you reach the final destination.
AND…as soon as I think I have a really great, well-calculated plan and a really awesome destination and an incredible vision for myself and my life, I get broadsided by the Universe and sent on a different trajectory.
When I talk about hopes and dreams and visions for myself in my personal life…I have BIG ONES!!! HUGE ONES!!! I have to say that it is one of the reasons I spend a lot of time traveling and exploring and discovering more and more of my world around me, and therefore discovering more about myself.
This particular trajectory I am currently on is SO GRAND, FAR MORE GRAND than I could have ever imagined for myself. It is wonderful, wait, that word doesn’t do it justice. Actually words really dilute the experience because it really is a feeling, a healing and an evolution.
It’s been a wild ride and it has changed so much for a better, sweeter and more fulfilling experience. I am ready for the chaos to settle but am grateful for all of it. Every. Single. Bit. Of. It.
I am grounded in Fenton and this community more than I have ever thought was possible. There is chaos around right now, but that is the breaking down of the old to build a new foundation that will support and sustain something super incredible. This is applicable on so many levels.
Not to worry, I am not going anywhere. In fact, travel will always be part of who I am, however there is so much fulfillment in this new travel to the inner space of myself and who I am that the need to explore far-off lands sort of fizzles…unless, of course, he can go with me.
Beyond that, have you all noticed how cool Fenton is becoming? HOLY COW I am grateful to be in this community right at this time!!!!
What I realized from these past 2 months is so profound. We have no real control of our lives. We cannot control what others say or do. We can have a destination in mind however when everything is up in the air, it is so important to find time to sit quietly. There is so little time to be idle in life anymore, in fact, I think the concept is lost for future generations. Nobody spends time just sitting and thinking and listening to that little voice inside that has the answers we are looking for.
It has been a while since I have written. It is not because I haven’t thought about it, it’s because I am having a hard time quieting my mind at the end of the day as it is. Writing inspires me, opens up new channels of possibility and can keep thinking late into the night after I publish a blog post. For that very reason, and the fact that the Cafe is so busy to begin with, I have saved as much energy as I can and put it towards restful sleep at night instead of stimulating myself by creating.
Tonight, I just couldn’t help it anymore. This had to come out.
Rest well my friends. See you sooner than later!!!
This short clip is talking about the time we have and is represented in jellybeans. It is a brilliant picture representation of our life.
Watch until the end…profound, profound message about what if today was the only day, what would you do?
Let me know what you think about the time we have, the time I have, the time you have. It is all so very short. I have been attending an online course and realizing actions steps need to be taken TODAY!!! Get out there and make it the kind of day you want! The kind of life you want!!! We only get one chance…
“I will be on that stage someday” I said to my friend, Ameena, when as we were leaving The Circus Bar in Ann Arbor after “The Moth” StorySlam live event for the first time in early 2014. Ameena sent out a mass Facebook message earlier that day to my Book Club to see if anyone wanted to attend a “story-telling” event in Ann Arbor with her. I had been in the process of studying “The Art of Storytelling” for the past couple years and when I saw it was a live storytelling event, I jumped on the chance to attend.
I do my best to reply “yes” to any invite (within reason) that is thrown my way. I enjoy opening my eyes and mind to new things and ideas, and I tend to get involved in rich, rewarding experiences that start by simply replying “yes”.
Some of you may know of, or already listen to “The Moth”, but let me set the scene.
The Ann Arbor venue holds just over 300 people and all walks of life attend these events. The night consists of 10 volunteer storytellers from the audience. The stories need to be 5 minutes long, true, based on the theme set for the evening, and notes are not allowed. There are 3 sets of judges that are chosen from the audience and there is a 
“winner” that advances on to a larger venue and then on to the “Moth Ball“, a huge event in New York City. While people are telling stories, a warning whistle blows at 5 minutes. Once 6 minutes has passed, another longer whistle blows and points can be deducted due to time. There is an awesome host or hostess that MC’s the evening and weaves their own stories in and around the storytellers as well as sharing “micro-stories” that the audience members have written out.
Throughout the evening, the stories are being recorded; both video recorded as well as audio and “The Moth” shares these stories on NPR, Michigan Public Radio and their podcast that is broadcasted everywhere.
The event happens monthly and I only missed a couple in the past year. I have also been listening to the podcast regularly and look forward to every new episode. Humans are so interesting and everyone has a story to tell. Because I have been on the hunt for rich, rewarding experiences in my life, I have some really cool, fun, awesome and interesting stories, a few of them brewing for the opportunity to match up with a theme at one of these events.
The StorySlam in December happened just before the holidays and while I was in Ann Arbor that night, it came to my attention that the theme for January would be “cold”. PERFECT!!! One of my stories finally matches up!!! That night I committed to getting myself up on that stage in January.
So I began to rehearse my story. I rehearsed it over and over and over, probably about 30 times to my empty house over the month. There was not a lot of feedback when I performed my story to my empty couches, but it allowed me the chance to get details figured out and hone in my words.
The event was on a Tuesday and was drawing near. As the days ticked by, I became more and more nervous. I do well in front of crowds once I get up there, but the time leading up to it can be absolutely overwhelming with nausea from nerves.
Monday that week, I am going through my regular day at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic and when I would have a moment to think about getting on stage the next day, I would make myself sick. Monday night I could hardly sleep. Tuesday I woke up a little tired and my day was busy as usual. It didn’t help that these nervous feelings were taking over my body. I was getting myself so worked up about it I reached out to a friend. His reply, “If you get there tonight and you feel like doing it, then do it. If not, then who cares!”
Right.
I realized in that moment that it was my perfectionist nature that was creating the stress and if I just let it go and decided to be my imperfect self, I could settle some nerves and step into a powerful place of vulnerability.
I also knew I didn’t have a choice in the matter that evening…this was my evening to make it happen and to live more fully, I just couldn’t let this chance pass me by.
I practiced my story 4 more times on my ride down to Ann Arbor. I walked into the place, signed the rights away on my story and took my seat. A friend had gotten food for me and a little liquid courage which always helps.
The stories started and as they would randomly draw names from the bag, the nerves were so overwhelming, I didn’t know if I was going to implode or explode and decided the only possible way to make it through would be to use my breath to calm me down. I also put a piece of gum in my mouth just so I could stimulate my parasympathetic, relaxation response.
After the first 2 storytellers went, my name was called. I threw the gum out of my mouth, may or may not have said a swear word and up I went.
“YOLO is a trending term. Everyone has been using the concept of “You Only Live Once” that it has been reduced down to these 4 letters. It was 1994, I was 17 years old and I was in love…”
I knew my story was a crowd-pleaser and I knew they would get a kick out of it. I was surprised it was actually easier to tell the story onstage than at home. When I practiced on my own, I didn’t have the response of 300+ people laughing and cheering the story on. Onstage, I could feel all that presence and was also able to remain calm and mindful enough to make my words clear, rhythmical and tell a really good story.
I had a friend record it for me and was able to watch myself on stage and I am proud of what I did.
I didn’t win “The Moth” StorySlam that night but it was a huge win in my life. It was something I wanted to do for over a year and decided to bust through any barriers, physical and mental, and make it happen.
Through the years, I have decided I am not going to be sitting on the sidelines of life and letting experiences pass me by. I often get private messages on Facebook and through email asking me “do you have a terminal diagnosis? Are you dying or why are you making all this stuff happen? What is driving you? What is your motivation?” It is simple…we only live once and my plan is to squeeze as much juice out of my days, weeks, months and years as I possibly can.
That Tuesday night is only the beginning of my time onstage at “The Moth”. I am not sure it will be easier the next time I do it. What I do know is that I did it, I went to battle with the perfectionist that lives inside of me and won, I found some strength sharing my story standing in vulnerability, I survived and made it out the other side more fully alive, That is what life is all about.
I never really felt the word “my tribe” until I went on my last vacation over the holidays. This is my tribe.
We have a resonance, ride the same wavelength.
We look at life through a similar lens.
We were familiar to each other from the beginning.
We laugh louder and harder together.
We mastermind.
We play. Like kids, we play.
We call each other out on limiting beliefs.
We call each other to be bigger people than we currently are and hold one another accountable.
We love in a really big way, each other and the world.
We bounce ideas off one another and truly gain so much from the other’s perspective.
We live fully and loudly and that is magnified when we are together.
We make our little crazy lives and ideas seem “normal” when we are together.
We have worked so hard, dug and excavated all kinds of stuff in order to uncover more of who we each are at our core. We did a lot of that work together and have tremendous trust in one another.
When there is time to shift and change and grow, a gentle space is held for when one stumbles.
We dance and sing. A lot!
We can be our authentic selves, and it is encouraged.
We love life and remind each other to remain keenly aware of how blessed we are in our individual lives…and also as a group.
We have seen each other at our worst and helped to elevate that space.
We serve others and realize service is the key to happiness.
We have learned love, loss and so many other life lessons together.
We have great respect for one another.
We plan and plot and scheme.
We are family but we are so very different from our own blood-family.
That is my tribe and I wish all of you had a chance to get to know all of them. They are some of the most incredible people and my life would not be quite as rich without them. There is a great line in the Broadway play “Wicked” that goes something like this…
“Because I’ve known you, I’ve been changed for good.” This is my tribe.
As many of you know, I grew up with 3 brothers. Can you guess how many days were 3 against 1? All of them and what I would have given to have a sister.
This past holiday season, I spent 11 days with really close friends in the sunshine on the beach. We have traveled quite a bit together over the years. None of us have any kids, so life is simple right now, and while it is, we will travel.
We have had many different accommodations through the years, however, this is the first year we have had a rental house that we all stayed under one roof. At the last minute, a girlfriend of ours joined us.
The original plan was I would have my own bedroom but now that she was coming, we would be sharing.
Vacation is meant for relaxation and recharging and I have to admit, the idea of sharing a room wasn’t ideal. I have a sleeping issue and unless I have just the right bed, and just the right pillows, and just the right temperature, and just the right amount of noise, I have a challenge getting to sleep. So adding another person for 10 nights seemed overwhelming and not relaxing.
This girlfriend of mine, Allie, I have known for almost 15 years. We have been friends since the moment I met her and have navigated many of life’s ups and downs together. We truly go WAY back!!
The first night, I slept like a baby. It was almost as if I had a guardian angel with me. Truly that is what my sweet friend Allie has become. She is an amazing chiropractor and a powerful woman, however she is so much more than that. She is a healer, an intuitive and she lives to serve and nurture others. We had 6 chiropractors under one roof and she was the one most of us wanted to be adjusted by. We shared in the adjusting duties but she was busy all week checking and adjusting all of us.
As a group of 6, we would spend our days running and playing and dancing and singing and surfing and eating and making movies and clowning around. We would talk about deep topics and superficial topics, topics that effect our day to day as well as those that effect our entire lives.
Then we would all finish our days and head to our respective resting places. Allie and I would shut the door to the outside world and usually pull out our phones. We would chat for a bit and fill in some blanks and share funny things that came through email or Facebook. Then we would turn out the lights and sometimes those conversations would continue.
Remember those sleep-overs as kids when the conversation would head into the after-dark times? That is exactly what it was and we would stay up late.
It was like sharing a room with sister that I never had and I cherish that time with her.
In my normal day to day, I spend a lot of time in solitude. I have a busy chiropractic office, Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic, and I see a lot of people on a daily basis. I also spend a lot of time out and about amongst people. When I come home, it is just me. I like it that way. I like that when I leave my house in the morning, I know it will be in the same condition when I return in the evening because I am the only one creating the space.
But there are times when it is truly lonely and the responsibility of creating energy that is happening in my house my solo responsibility as I am the only one creating the space.
I realized when I returned home a couple days ago that I miss her tremendously. I miss all my friends, my tribe, but I miss my sister. Sometimes it takes the contrast in life to realize what one truly values. The contrast of the cold helps to appreciate the hot; the contrast of dark helps to appreciate the light, and the contrast of alone-ness helps to appreciate good company.
I know she, and so many other friends, are just a phone call, email or text message away. I have some good friends that are just a short car ride from my home. I love the life and space that I create on my own, and at the same time, I have shifted a little bit and am looking forward to spending more regular time in good company. I realize the juice of life can be squeezed out of the days as a solo mission, but is so much sweeter when shared.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Thank you for all your time and energy this past week my sweet sister Allie. Much, much, much love!!
It is “Throw Back Thursday” and exactly 10 years today that I graduated from Chiropractic College. From the time I started college to finishing with my doctorate was also 10 years.
It is very clear that decades go on in the blink of an eye and it truly is important to take each day lightly and have fun. I have had so many incredible experiences and memories, and have learned so much in this past decade.
In the last 10 year:
I graduated from Chiropractic College with these great guys and loaded up my things and moved home to Fenton, MI.
I moved in with my parents, moved into an apartment, bought a condo and bought a home.
I started a practice, Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic at 110 Trealout Dr, moved my practice to 114 W. Caroline Street (where Crust is currently) and we found permanent digs in 2010 at 521 N. Leroy St.
I have celebrated the marriage of my mother to my step dad, and 2 of my brothers to 2 very beautiful women.
I have welcomed 4 nieces and 3 nephews, and watched my brothers become fathers.
I have been to countless birthday parties, holiday parties and spent hundreds of hours at the lake with my family.
I have had 5 extraordinary women help me run my practice…Thank you Lauren, Rachel, Vickie, Angie and Alyssa.
I have had 7 of the greatest massage therapists on my team…Thank you Rachel, Teri, Kelli, Rachael, Toni, Kel Leigh and Nicole.
I have traveled a lot and have some fun stamps on my passport.
I have participated in a Chiropractic Service Trip <<–YouTube picture book (Peru August 2014).
I have run a marathon, Chicago in 2006, many half-marathons, Crim 10 milers and other races.
I have finished 4 triathlons.
I have been to hundreds of yoga classes, maybe close to a thousand.
I took yoga teacher training and doula training.
I have been in love, been loved and fallen out of love.
I have done a FLASH MOB, jumped out of an AIRPLANE and taken a ride in a helicopter.
I have had health challenges, sports injuries and have more faith in the body’s ability to heal than ever before.
I have attended births, I adjusted women before labor, during labor and immediately after birthing their babies.
I have checked and adjusted too many babies to count, more kids than I can imagine, and I can’t even fathom how many adults.
I have adjusted people minutes after birth and hours prior to death, and those who have just lost someone important.
I have laughed more in the last 10 years than ever before in my life.
I have had more fun than ever before in my life.
I have cried so many tears of joy and sorrow.
I have never loved life so much as I do at this point right now.
I have made so many great friends, lost a few and learned so much from connections with others.
I have learned to embrace the moment, be present to the day and squeeze as much juice out of life as I possibly can.
I am so grateful, so very very grateful to be of service to a community that has given me so much.
I am so freakin’ grateful for my support system of people near and far and grateful to have people in my life that help me keep my flame lit.
I had no idea when that picture above was taken at my graduation that all of this stuff would have happened.
It has been quite a ride, I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring.
10 years today. Truly unbelievable it has been 10.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDi7nW_l_Pw[/youtube]