October 22, 2005
Eight
years come and gone. Time has passed
before my eyes, and I just can’t believe it.
It’s so amazing to see how full of life those eight years have
been. To see the challenges, laughter,
memories, and the people who make life great coming together to make what and
who you are. I am in awe, knowing that
one moment, one memory, or one person, in life can impact you for your entire
life. One of those life forming moments
was eight years ago to the day, October 22.
I don’t think that up until eight years ago my family and I even knew
the meaning of hope, and until it seemed that hope was lost did we begin to see
what hope truly is. Webster’s defines it
as “one that gives promise for the future”.
Emily Dickinson said that, “Hope
is the thing with feathers- That perches in the soul- And sings the tune
without the words- And never stops-at all…“.
Whatever the definition or belief of what hope is, what matters, is the
fact that you can wake up each day with hope.
As long as you can do that life will be ok, no matter where life takes
you. Hope to me is the belief that no
matter what today is like, than if I am lucky I will have a tomorrow when life
will be better. That is what drives me
to be and do what I can.
This past year has been an
especially hard year to weather. I
became really sick shortly after I wrote you last year due a flu shot that
caused me to be hospitalized.
Unfortunately I found out that I happened to have mono at the same time,
and so I had to drop out of college for a semester and come home to
recuperate. When it was time to go back
to school last spring, I still wasn’t feeling all that great, and then I got
the flu. I was sick for about two
months. By summer I was feeling somewhat
better, and I received a job offer to work for my Dad and his business partner
doing some research for them. I had an
awesome time doing that, and I learned a lot.
But
in June I got the horrible news that one of the greatest people I know was
killed in a car accident, and her husband was critically injured. Her name was Bobbie Day, and she was my
friend and ski instructor. It was
through her that I came to find my love and passion for skiing. To me she symbolized what life should be
like. She was an extraordinary lady, who
at the age of 74 was still accomplishing things that many of us could never
dream to accomplish, and she lived life with such gusto that I was both amazed
and humbled. She fought breast cancer,
and lived to tell the tale of the time when her house blew up. She had so much happen to her, and yet she
would always smile and spread her joy of living to those around her. That is what my Glad to Be Alive Day is about
to take both the good and the bad, and live with the hope that life will be
better one day.
When
August came I was ready and excited to go back to Vanderbilt
University in Nashville
So
what if today isn’t the best of days, it can be worse. Tomorrow is a new day, with new promises and
new challenges, and that is what makes life great. Life is being able to have a second chance at
things because everyday you have is a second chance to do something you never
got the chance to do, or to be someone you never thought you could be. That is what my Glad to Be to Alive Day
symbolizes. It is the hope that for all
of us, there will always be good times to look forward to or remember when life
is not what we thought it would be.
As
always, you have my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your continuing
support. Either through the emails,
letters, prayers, or just about anything you may have done, you have shown me
that there are always people waiting on the sidelines to cheer me on. It has kept me going when I believed I couldn’t
go any further. Thank you, thank you,
thank you!!
Happy 8th Glad to Be
Alive Day, my friends and family!
Continue to hope and dream, and may this coming year be one of the best
yet.
With love always,
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