Even though I heard my Sister’s words on the phone, it didn’t hit me until this morning, when the constant whirling and running around of my daily life subsided, and I read her name on the “Caring Bridge” website. It was like my stomach was squeezed into a vice, and suddenly, I couldn’t read through the tears in my eyes, or speak over the tender knot that had formed in my throat.

One of the most vibrant, energetic and spirited women in my life has been diagnosed with cancer- Leukemia to be specific. This is a woman who has devoted her life to helping others, started a business based upon bringing a smile or laughter to an elderly person’s life. This woman has always been there for all of the women in my family, from long walks with my Mother, being a confidante for my Sister, and sharing her assuring words and inspiring stories with me. This woman doesn’t merely ask “How are you?”, she genuinely wants to know how you are. I admire that in a person. I have always admired her.

In every endeavor that I have pursued, whether it was starting my own business, or becoming a wife and a mother, she was there to cheer me on, and to tell me that I can do it, and that she could see me being very successful. I fondly remember a long talk we had one day after I had my daughter, and I was new to being a stay-at-home mom. Though I loved my baby, I was having a difficult time with the monotony and sameness of the every day life. I recall her telling me that I am absolutely normal, and that the time that you are home with little children goes by in such a blink, so to enjoy the mundane, and the special times equally. I have tucked that little piece of advice in my heart, and I think about it every day. It doesn’t seem like that long ago, I was a twelve-year-old babysitting her children, and now they are grown adults!

I have always admired the closeness that she has with her children. I will  strive as a mother, to have the type of friendship and trust that she has with both of them. She is a parent, with rules and discipline, but she is also a friend and a soft place to land for her children. That is a delicate balance, being a parent and a friend to your kids, but I’m hoping that I can acquire her ability to do so.

I am incredibly inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a teenager, she began a business that is based upon going into care homes for the elderly, and playing games with them, singing with them, listening to their stories, and bringing so much light and brightness into an otherwise overcast life. From her example, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I want to own my business, I want to love what I do, and I want to touch people’s lives- just like her.

Today, as I say healing prayers for her, and know in my heart that she has the strength, courage, power, and resiliency to get up and over this mountain, I am inspired to ask my friends and family, “How are you?”, and truthfully open up and listen to how they truly are. Today, I will stop and cherish a moment with my little kids, whether it’s watching my son navigate through a video game, or helping my daughter with her homework, I will appreciate it for the moment that it is, knowing that it is a fleeting one. Today, I will be thankful for having been inspired by such an incredible and empowering woman. Today, I know that this battle that she is waging will be fought with so many caring family members and friends that have been touched by her being in their lives.  For a woman with exceptional grace, unyielding care and concern for others, and powerful ability to help others to feel happiness, and realize their own dreams and abilities, I send healing wishes, loving thoughts, and endless gratitude. For Brenda.

Dear Papa,

I thought that you were invincible. The man who told me stories of being a Veteran in the war. The man who was a racing hero, and showed me countless pictures of you holding trophies that were bigger than me, standing in front of amazing racecars. The man who could fix anything with a pocketknife, or a kiss- whether it was my scraped knee from riding my bike, or a broken dolly- you could fix it. The man who spent hours with my little hand in his, walking me through each of his impressive machines in his garage, and explaining to me what each one did, and showing me how to make sparks on the grinder, or how to shape a peice of metal on the lathe.

Papa, you are more of a Grandfather than any little girl could ever imagine or dream of.  So many of my fond childhood memories include you, and I was so blessed to have been your little pal when I was a little girl. I loved watching you work on the cars, or going to the auto parts store with you. I loved sitting under the car with you on the Creeper, and me sitting by you, handing you tools. You would tell me what each one did, and years before I ever even drove a car, would show me where the oil goes, how the engine works, or how to change a tire.  I loved the smell of the orange cleaner you’d use to scrub your hands, or the way your hardworking hands had all different “boo boos” all over them from working on the engines- I was fascinated by all of them! But also loved watching the same hands do tender tasks like fix my dolls, or peeling an orange with me when I was supposed to be going to sleep, or “fixing” my ice cream cones, so that they didn’t drip.

It has been such an amazing blessing for me to watch you with my children. One of my favorite pictures of you, is one where you’re holding my Son for the first time, and you’re this strong man, wearing your red racing hat, and in your arms, you’re holding this tiny little baby, and you’re smiling the most beaming smile. I truly cherish that picture! I love watching my kids laugh with you, or Clayton walk around wearing your glasses, or you helping Avery fix her toysl, or listening to you telling them a story, as they sit on your lap, and watch your face with curiosity and amazement, just like I did.

I know that this past month has been incredibly hard on you. I can’t imagine the strength, the hope and the perseverance that it must take to wake up every morning, and keep going despite the challenges and obstacles that have been put upon you. Today, you are having surgery, and I have every confidence that you will do great, and probably even suprise the doctors with how well you do! It will take some fighting and battling to get back to where you need to be, but I know that you can do it. I know that visions of the little ones laughing and dancing while they do performances with your cane as the microphone, or thoughts of the little guy riding all around on his bike wearing your glasses, or sitting with your granddaughter listening to Patsy Cline or Grandpa Jones and talking about “back then”, or spending time with your daughters and laughing and talking about family memories and traditions, these are all very real reasons to get better.

Yes, I am a grown woman now, and a wife and a mother, but I am still the same little girl that admires you. That cherishes your stories, loves seeing you laugh so hard that you have to take off your glasses and wipe your eyes, and treasures the moments that my kids are cuddling next to you, listening to your stories. There are so many more memories to make, Papa. I know that you can do this, because you are  a hero to me, and a man with immeasurable strength. You have so much love around you, from your daughters, your siblings, to your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. There are more stories to be told, more dolls and toys to fix, more performances in little princess shoes on a tile floor to watch, more hugs to share, and more laughter to be had. I look forward to many more cherished memories with you.

With so much love, from a Granddaughter that is so blessed to have you as her Papa,

Kristin Noel

It has been so long since I’ve had a chance to write! I’ll tell you- I’ve missed it tremendously! But here’s the deal: when you’re a busy Mom, everything that you juggle and balance on a regular basis, is like juggling glass balls- as long as you can keep everything balanced and centered- you can keep them all going. But, what happens when one crashes to the floor and shatters? It’s going to affect your concentration, your balance and your ability to keep all of the other glass balls from breaking. My shattered glass ball as of late, is my Grandfather. He is very close to me and my children, and he has been very ill, and in and out of the hospital for nearly three weeks.

It’s been a real struggle for me to write because of my lack of time, mostly. From balancing my family and my full-time job, every minute in between has been spent helping my Grandpa, or supporting other family members, since this is a really tough time on all of us. I’ve also struggled, because I love to make people laugh, I like to be funny! But, this is a website devoted to real women and real mothers, and let’s face it- real life just ain’t funny all the time!

So, bear with me, dear Mamas! Hopefully through my experience, you can learn a few tips on how to juggle the glass balls, even when it seems impossible. I have learned a few tricks to coping with daily life, while facing a family crisis that I’d like to share with you:

1. Reign in your resources: I’m very blessed to have a wide network of friends and family members. One very loving girlfriend is a healthcare social worker, and has offered me advice about home-nursing, and different programs for elderly patients. Another has offered to pick my daughter up from school, so that I can stay longer at the hospital. Yesterday a family member talked with me for a long time about how she dealt with this when it was her own father, and gave me a better perspectiveon what was happening. Appreciate your friends being there for you, and allow them to offer their help or comforting advice. Don’t try to do it all- one person just can’t.
2. Be thankful: When faced with crisis, it is so easy to go into pity party mode, or even worse, anger mode. The best medicine to combat this unhealthy behavior is to literally stop it in it’s track, and turn the negative thought into a thought of thankfulness. While it’s common for me to think, “I’m not ready to lose my Grandpa yet! I’m so pissed that he is in so much pain- why is this happening to our family?” I force myself to stop, and redirect. “I’m thankful to have a Grandpa I’m so close to. I’m thankful for the closeness of our family. I’m thankful for a husband that helps me through all of the ups and downs in life.” It calms me, it relaxes me, and I can instantly feel the tightness, and heart-pounding anxiety leave my body.
3. Exercise: It seems almost ridiculous to try to fit in time to exercise while facing a crisis. But, believe me- if you can even fit in 10 minutes to stretch, breathe deeply, and feel your body move and relax, it makes a huge difference in your ability to cope with stress and anxiety. Some days it’s a 20-minute pilates DVD, and other days it’s just parking a little farther in the hospital parking lot, and walking the long way around to get my heart going, and the good endorphins going through my body. Yesterday, I just closed my eyes, plugged my ears with my MP3 player, and punched the air for 10 minutes, getting out all of the frustration and anxiety that I’d been harboring- I swear, it was more calming to me than any Xanax or other chemical that I’ve tried to dull my nerves!
4. Find time for fun: Even if it’s just an hour, or a whole afternoon, force yourself to find time for fun. If all you are doing is immersing yourself in the midst of the crisis, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And some tunnels, we just have no control over, and it seems like an eternity before you can see the light. So, in order to help you keep perspective, keep positive, and keep strong, find time for fun. Go out to dinner, laugh, dance, sing, read a funny story, ask a friend to tell you a funny and/or dirty joke- anything to take you out of crisis mode at least for a little while. Then when you come back to the problem, you have a renewed energy and ability to make good decisions.

I’ll be in touch as often as I can- thank you for the amazing gift of friendship, of laughter, and for letting me share!