What she taught me

Last night, I had the honor of surrounding a dear friend's family with my love as we all had to say good-bye to one of the bravest women I've ever known. After years of battling breast cancer, my dear Deyla is now at peace. 

While I can't even pretend to know what it is like to lose your child (her parents) or leave your children too soon, I've found myself pondering what I can do in my life to honor hers. We never had the opportunity to really sit down and learn about her wishes, but there are things that are just a given. We will continue to support her family; we will share all of our fun memories with her children; and we'll be there to celebrate all of life's moments with her family. We know that that is what she would want from us. 

I still find myself asking....what would Deyla ask of us for our lives?

Don't forget each other

I met Deyla at the University of Chicago. I was in my third year at the college and she was just a first year. I grew to know Deyla when she made the choice to pledge my sorority - Sigma Lambda Gamma. I was first her Dean of Pledges but eventually her sister. The amount of time we spent together was intense, frustrating, funny, loving, etc. - all the emotions that one can associate with pledging. 

She was the calm force in her Line. Nothing would rattle her. As you can well imagine, that was frustrating for me as her Dean but I secretly admired her for getting "it" so quickly. She never gave up and knew that the process was about making us an unbreakable unit. 

So it didn't surprise me to have her reach out to all of us when she was first diagnosed. She knew we would have her back regardless of whether or not we had spoken recently. All she had to do was ask and we were there. 

We did everything we could to support her, but I know we all feel we could have done more. I don't think that guilt is unique to our group...I'm guessing everyone who has lost a loved one to illness will always feel this way. 

Her illness brought us together with such determination and love for each other, that I know she would want us to remain this strong. We won't stray....we hear you Dey!

Don't neglect your health

Deyla didn't do anything that was neglectful. She was chosen to go through this difficult journey to teach the rest of us to treat our bodies like temples. We don't know how much time we have in this world. We should all assume it is limited and try to live the healthiest and fullest lives possible. 

What does that mean for me? I've been overweight most of my life. While part of that may be genetics, a huge part is my own neglect. I don't eat right and I don't exercise. Changing 30+ years of bad habits will be hard, but it's time step up my game and get on the right path. 

Hydrating, eating healthier and regular exercise will now become a part of my daily routine. 

Be prepared for emergencies

The financial strain that a terrible illness brings on families is immeasurable. The actual amount cannot be quantified but one can start to make an estimate and that thought is paralyzing. 

Note to self - get your shit together financially. I'm not even prepared to be laid off let alone deal with a medical emergency!

Bring joy to others

I think I do okay in this realm....but Deyla was the queen. Her smile, her giggle and her incredible listening skills changed everyone's lives. It was a privilege to have her in my life. I can only hope that when my time is ending, that I will be surrounded with love and that those left here on this earth will share sweet memories of me with others. 

Thank you Dey...I hope my life will make you proud. 

Rejection

So I just got home from work after working some crazy hours this week - people out sick, having to cover while team members are out at meetings, etc. All the normal stuff we all do as staffing gets leaner during the holiday season! Exhausting but quite the norm this time of year.

Last week, I decided to try and leap back into my crafting by applying for the design team of a really cool Scrapbooking Kit Club that asks subscribers to focus their scrapping on themselves (on their inside self). I had a blast going outside of my comfort zone to create about me, and I was a bit excited about getting back in to this creative realm. However, I was pretty scared I wouldn't be able to really commit the time it deserved.

So I was secretly relieved to come home and find out that I had not been selected for the design team.  A little bummed out, but I knew that I hadn't been blogging in awhile and I threw together some fun layouts at the last minute. I didn't really plan out the story I wanted to tell or the spin I wanted to focus on.  I just made pretty layouts that were fun.

My rejection letter was beautifully written and actually empowering - which speaks volumes to the kit club.  So I thanked them for that - I literally emailed them back to say thank you :)

Now...I need to get back in to my groove...my crafty niche...and find the right next move for me in my creative life.

Thanks for the push SFTIO!

Family

Today was one of those days at work when I couldn't wait to get home to unwind. I plan on working out a bit (third day in a row - madness), but I needed to unravel a bit through creativity. 

I work with all kinds of families - some of which are much easier to work with than others. No matter the interaction, I know that they are going through surreal and challenging circumstances so some of our interactions are probably unique to their own normal. 

Anytime I have a difficult moment, I start to think about my family and how we have dealt with any unexpected circumstances. I have aunts who are blind, an uncle with a drug addiction, and a godson that was born hearing impaired. 

While many of these family experiences are unchangeable, I'm proud of how my family has faced them. There is no sitting back and doing nothing (though at times that would be easier!). We rally together and we do the best we can. 

One of my visually impaired aunts is more independent than I am!

One of my favorite memories is from October 2011. I ecstatically took part in the Walk-4-Hearing 5K. This walk divides its proceeds amongst many organizations working with the hearing impaired. One of the beneficiaries is a school called One Voice. This incredible institution provided the avenue in which Andy could learn to navigate beautifully in a Hearing world. 

I had a blast walking with Andy and his family. It felt amazing to see my younger relatives engage in service while having fun. I hope we can do more of this soon. 

My gift

Today my layout and post will be simple. 

I'm choosing to brag about the one thing I know I do best. KIDS!!!

From babies to teenagers, the skill I'm most proud about is my ability to connect with them. I'm a baby whisperer, the one to tame a crowd of young kids, and the one to make a quiet teenager engage in a conversation. 

So I'm shouting it loudly -- I'm good with kids!!

Happy

I woke up early today because I wanted to start this layout. I had picked out my picture and my pretty papers and had a concept in mind. 

This past year, I've played around with make-up and fake eyelashes (which I love). When I couple great make-up, its application and a general happy disposition, I find myself feeling really confident physically. Now, I'm not a size two model (and probably never will be), but I know the power of kind eyes and a great smile. 

So what happens when you feel good...well as a scrapbooker, I want to document it visually. So I started this hysterical trend of trying to take a good selfie. Who knew selfies could be so stinking card? I have so many terrible angles of my face but am completely taken aback by some of the photos. 

This photo is one of my personal favorites because I feel what I'm projecting visually. Looking at this photo, I feel happy and that's because I have been happier this year. A lot of that has to do with being happy professionally. I already love my personal life but my professional world was missing a key piece - a targeted passion point. 

I took this picture on March 31, 2013 which was almost exactly a year after I submitted my resignation to take my new position with Ronald McDonald House Charities. This picture says it all. 

Laughter

I'm toying with the idea of applying to be a member of a design team to a really great company. I've been following their blog for months and have seriously considered becoming a member of its kit club. 

The only thing that has stopped me from joining the kit club is the fact that I've been trying to declutter my craft room by using what I already own (which is a lot!). I don't really need more beautiful supplies!! Well....one could argue that I do in fact NEED those gorgeous embellishments and papers.

Scrapbooking From the Inside Out asks its followers to use their creative energy to express themselves about themselves. In all my years of scrapbooking, I have never made myself an album despite my best intentions. Even if I decide not to apply, I thought it would be fun to make layouts about me and my favorite life moments. 

It's a start, right?

Recharging

 

I've spent the last year delving deep in to a new world of work. I have loved every second, cried at how tired I've been and missed hanging out with my friends and family. 

However, I haven't regretted any second of this time because I truly think I'm where I'm supposed to be career-wise. I've been so exhausted yet happy that I haven't even delved into my crafty world goals! I haven't necessarily forgotten them. I've just realized that I needed to push back some of my personal crafty goal deadlines. And that's ok.

I've even missed blogging, but I have used Instagram to share my current lovely moments. Some have been crafty but many have been work and friend related. There have been beautiful babies born (Julian & Marco), and I've seen so many of my munchkins grow (Ellie, Roya, Marlena, Mateo, and Jaiden). I've eaten lots of incredible food and sprained multiple body parts so I've also gained a few unhealthy pounds from the decreased mobility. 

Am I happy? Yes!!!!

Body is feeling healthy. I've started eating better. I got a sassy new haircut. I've even been promoted twice in one year. Even I couldn't have imagined all that for one year!

So now it's time I recharge and recommit to all of it. I'm happy professionally, but now I need to better all the rest of it. My health, my soul and my love for exploring sharing my culture and self through art. Get ready for more regular posts!