She Didn't Forget

When I made my post earlier this week about my birthday, I purposely left out something that brought about a great deal of pain...my mother!

I have talked about this in the past, but I had no relationship with my mother from age 5 to age 18. Since that time, she and I have spent years building a relationship and learning what it means to be mother and son again. I love my mother. I see so much of her in me. She is an amazing woman, and I look up to her.

One of the most painful memories I have that surrounds my mother is the one Christmas that I did not get to see her. She had sent me a card with a message that she would not be able to be with me on Christmas that year. I was crushed. I remember crying for at least a day. It was a hard pill to swallow for someone who worshiped his mom.

Those same feelings resurfaced last week on my birthday. One of the things I look forward to most is a birthday card from Mom. Well, this year, it did not come. Once again, I was crushed. It is hard to explain for someone my age. I still feel like a little child when my mother is involved.

Well, today, those feelings were put to rest. My birthday card from Mom arrived in my mailbox. She had accidently sent the card to my old address. It takes several days for the postal service to forward it to my current address. I didn't even make it out of my car this afternoon before I had to open it. The card was beautiful...simple, elegant, and the message I needed to hear from my mummy!

Below is the card!

Love ya, mom!

Postcard

Today I received a postcard from the other side of the world!

Nabil, a fellow blogger from Algeria sent me this postcard. He was attending the World Cup in South Africa and offered to send me a postcard from there. It was a grand gesture, and it made my day to get something in the mail from the other end of this planet.

Thanks, Nabil! You are a great friend.

Also, I have to add that I am infatuated by the stamp. It is in the shape of a parallelogram (oh, good grief...it is the mathematics teacher in me coming out to play!); some would say it is a rhombus. Traditionally, stamps are rectangular in shape. It is just something different that catches my eye.

So Long, My Beautiful Friend

This evening I got a phone call from an old college friend, Beth. I have known Beth since we were freshmen in college and attending the BSU (Baptist Student Union). Beth called to tell me that our friend, Jamie had passed away today. I just sat there...emotionless. I know now that I was in shock. Heck, I am still in shock over this.

How do you describe my friend, Jamie? (We all loving refer to her as Jam-O)

Jamie was the epitome of unconditional love. Ever since I have known Jamie, she has always had this unbreakable smile on her face. Everyone who has ever come into contact with her catches that infectious smile and feels the warmth of the love Jamie brings to your life. No matter who you are, what you have done, or how awful you might have been, there was always love in Jamie's heart for you.

Jamie loved her life. She loved being this beacon of light for all to see. It was clear in you love of God. She served Him well.

In the past few years, Jamie has had some pretty serious health problems. Most recently she had a brain tumor removed several months back. She seemed to have been responding well to all treatment. Through all the pain, all the hard times, all the fear, Jamie never once let anyone know anything but happiness and love.

Oh, how I am going to miss this girl. There will never be enough that I can say about Jamie that could ultimately describe the awesomeness of this girl!

I love you, Jamie, and we will miss you always. There is now a big whole in the Whoop-Dee circle! However, I relish in the fact that you are now able to look after all of us, as you have always done throughout your life...now it is just on a much grander scale!

The song below from the Muppets is perfect for saying goodbye to Jamie. This is definitely her personality! 

Infinite Possibilities

As I mentioned in my last post, I received a card and gift from the incredible Madame Hawtness this past week for my birthday. Little does she know how much it has meant to me.

The gift...a brand new journal.

The card...all hand-written.
Below is what it said:

JC-
I always love a brand-new fresh notebook.
It rings of infinite possibility
Of pleasures waiting to be experienced
Of a life to be lived 
On yet undetermined terms.
Here's to yours. 


Did I mention MH has a way with words? Oh, so elegant and thoughtful.

Love you, MH and fam!

Birthday

As a few of you may know, I had my 33rd birthday this past Thursday (June 24).

I always hate birthdays...well, I hate mine anyway. I don't hate it due to the fact that I am a year older. I have certainly embraced the fact that my age is slowing increasing, but I don't have to act it! In fact, I have always concluded that working with my students is what helps keep me feeling and acting young.

The main reason I post about my birthday is simply because this birthday was not a good one.

Just for a bit of history, I arrived home from my 10-day marathon trip across three states on Wednesday night around 10:30 PM.

On Thursday, my birthday, I had two meetings scheduled for the day. Yes, I am always working...even during my "summer vacation." The first meeting was a yearbook rep meeting that lasted about 90 minutes. This rep was trying to woo me over to their production company. The next meeting was across town for contract negotiations. That meeting lasted 3 1/2 hours. Both meetings went very well. Do the math...I had 5 hours of meetings on my birthday. Ugh!

To top it all off, there was no birthday celebration: no party, no dinner out with friends/family, not even a cake.

Okay, I had about 100 Facebook messages wishing me a Happy Birthday. Plus, I received a card and present in the mail from MH. It was this awesome journal, and I loved the card. MH doesn't know it, but she made my day. It was bright spot in a day where I tend to get depressed.

Yes, I realize that there are friends and family out there that love me. I get that. What sucks is that I now live in a place where I am alone. My family is over two hours away. Best friend, Jenny, is over 3 hours away. There really wasn't anyone around here who could have helped me celebrate.

MH gave me a bit of a demand and told me to celebrate with some ME time for my birthday. Sorry, Mandi! I did not do it! The question is why didn't I take some me time? The answer...I don't necessarily take time out for me. I have never been one to take personal time for my benefit. I am a person who lives to serve others. Most of my time is spent working for or with people who need some type of support. That has always been my nature, and it can also be my downfall sometime.

I wrote this just to get it out of my system. Now it sounds like my own little pity party, which I hate. All hope is not lost.

I am leaving for New Orleans in a few days. I am going there for a work conference. I will be down there for a full week. Yes, there will be hours of work involved while I am there. However, I promise to take some time and have a blast. (Some of you sickos need to get your heads out of the gutter.)

I love New Orleans. During my undergrad years, I spent three of my spring breaks working with an organization called the No AIDS Task Force. Some of my college friends and I spent a full week each time helping in the NOTF's homebound program. We helped prepare 300 meals (150 lunches and 150 dinners) each day for homebound AIDS patients. We even got bold and helped deliver some of the meals. I loved my time there each year. I haven't been to Nawlins since 2004 before Hurrican Katrina hit the city. I am anxious to go back and see how the city has changed.

Did I mention I have full intention of having beignets and hot chocolate at Cafe Du Monde in the mornings. I don't drink coffee, so hot chocolate has to suffice. I plan on taking some time in the French Quarter and the French market. I want to go into the Garden District and have a look at the historic homes. I will take a tour of Lafayette Cemetery 1. There are so many things I want to see and do while there. I cannot wait.

Come With Me

I was putzing around the house today. Decided to look up a video on YouTube. Somehow I stumbled on this video of Shai's "Come With Me." I remember this song when I was in high school. I haven't heard it in forever, but I was singing every word when I heard it today. It is amazing the things we can remember...especially 15 years ago.

Too funny. Had to share it today!

For Dean & Family

I just got a text from my friend, Dean, letting me know that his uncle has just passed away.
Dean lives in the Chicago area, so there is no way I can be up there to help him out. That bothers me. I wish I could be there for him. However, I decided that I would pass along this song. It is called "Your Side." It is written by Katie Thompson and sung by Lisa Brescia. It is a song I listen to when I am feeling bad and missing my grandmother.

I decided to add additional songs that mean alot to me that I hope will help you through this tough time.

Dean, I hope it can bring you a bit of comfort. Know I will be here for you if you need anything.

Your Side

- by: Katie Thompson

Even though I might be far away

Even though I might be gone

You should know I need you everyday

You should know that I am on...your side

I am on your side...with pride

Through everything

Please know that I am on your side

Cause I know you get so rough alone

And I know it seems so long

All the time you spend on one small choice

No matter what it is

I am on your side

I am on your side...with pride

Through everything

Please know that I am on your side.

And I wish I could be there always

And I wish you could be here

But until then

When you have lonely days

This much is clear

You never have to fear

My judgement or if I could love you more

I am always yours

Cause I know I might be far away

And I know I might be gone

But no matter what

I'm always on...your side

Goodnight

- by: Scott Alan

Dry away the tears

Lay aside your fears

No more pain for my love

I am here

Now go to sleep

And when the angels,

I know that they will teach you well

And they will pull you through

And lift you up from what has held you down

There's a Heaven out there

And it waits just for you

So close your eyes and dream

And there will be a world that you once knew

A world without the pain

That has stuck with you for far too long

A world that does contain a love like mine

To watch you grow strong

And when my time arrives

Please make a place for me

For when I do arrive

I want your face to be the first face I see

So dry away the tears

Lay aside your fears

No more pain

For my love

I am here

Now go to sleep...

If Heaven
- by Andy Griggs


If Heaven was an hour, it would be twilight
When the fireflies start their dancin' on the lawn
And suppers on the stove and mammas laughin'
And everybody's workin' day is done.


If Heaven was a town, it would be my town
On a summer day in 1985
And everything I wanted was out there waitin'
And everyone I love was still alive.


Don't cry a tear for me, now baby
There comes a time when we all must say goodbye
And if that's what Heaven's made of
You know I ain't afraid to die.


If Heaven was a pie, it would be cherry
Cool and sweet and heavy on the tongue
And just one bite would satisfy your hunger
And there'd always be enough for everyone 


It Heaven was a train, it sure would be a fast one 
That could take this weary traveler round the bend
And if Heaven was a tear, it'd be my last one
And you'd be in my arms again.


Don't cry a tear for me now baby
There comes a time when we all must say goodbye
And if that's what Heaven's made of
You know I ain't afraid to die.


Yeah, if that's what Heaven's made of
You know I ain't afraid to die. 





How Can I Help You Say Goodbye
- by Patty Loveless


Through the back window of a '59 wagon
I watched my best friend, Jamie, slippin' further away
I kept on wavin' 'till I couldn't see her
And through my tears I asked again why we couldn't stay
Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain
Life's about change, and nothing ever stays the same.


And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?
It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry
Come, let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye?


I sat on our bed, he packed his suitcase
I held a picture of our wedding day
His hands were trembling, we both were crying
He kissed me gently and then he quickly walked away
I called up Mama, she said, Time will ease your pain
Life's about change, and nothing ever stays the same

And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?

It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry

Come, let me hold you and I will try

How can I help you to say goodbye?

Sittin' with Mama, alone in her bedroom

She opened her eyes, and then squeezed my hand

She said, I have to go now, my time here is over

And her final word, she tried to help me understand

Mama whispered softly, Time will ease your pain

Life's about change, and nothing ever stays the same

And she said, How can I help you to say goodbye?

It's OK to hurt, and it's OK to cry

Come, let me hold you and I will try

How can I help you to say goodbye?

How can I help you to say goodbye? 

Temporary Home
-by Carrie Underwood


Little boy, six years old
A little too used to bein' alone
Another new mom and dad
Another school, another house
That'll never be home
When people ask him 
How he likes this place
He looks up and says
With a smile upon his face


This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms 
That I'm passin' through
This is just a stop
On the way to where I'm goin'
I'm not afraid because I know
This is my temporary home.


Young Mom, on her own
She needs a little help
Got nowhere to go
She's lookin' for a job
Lookin' for a way out
Because a half-way house
Will never be a home
At night she whispers 
To her baby girl
Someday well find our
Place here in this world.

This is my temporary home

It's not where we belong

Windows and rooms 

That we're passin' through

This is just a stop

On the way to where we're goin'

I'm not afraid because I know

This is our temporary home.

Old man, hospital bed

The room is filled

With people he loves

And he whispers

Don't cry for me

I'll see you all someday

He looks up and says

I can see God's face.

This is my temporary home

It's not where I belong

Windows and rooms 

That I'm passin' through

This is just a stop

On the way to where I'm goin'

I'm not afraid because I know

This was my temporary home.

This is our temporary home.

Crush

I have absolutely no idea why I am posting this, but it has been on my mind all day long.

So, I have a crush...yes, on someone.

For the sake of anonymity I will refer to this crush as Jackson.

I met Jackson last year. The details of how and where we met are insignificant. All I want to say here is that thoughts have been racing through my head over the past week with what our life together could be like. Jackson is someone who I consider to be extremely intelligent and compassionate (two of the qualities I look for). Also, Jackson has such great talents that I could never have. I feel we compliment each other so well. Heck, I smile just getting an email or text from him...that makes my day!

Jackson is the first guy I could ever see myself building a life with in the future. For those who know me, they would tell you that is a huge leap for me. What would our life be like? Would we live in a big city or would we make a life in a suburb? Would we adopt kids? The fact is that I could see us taking care of each other in this life.

Good grief, I feel like some giddy middle schooler. I am at a loss for words on what to say here...I just needed to let this out.  

Thoughts and Prayers

I wanted to take a moment to simply ask for thoughts and prayers for my friend, Dean.

His uncle has been fighting cancer for some time now, and Dean has dedicated his life since that time to taking care of his aunt and uncle. Well, it looks as though his uncle will soon lose his battle with cancer.

It is obviously going to be a very rough time for Dean, his aunt, and the rest of the family.

I simply wanted to ask you all to keep him and the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thanks!
Joey

Ian's MEME Questions!

I am cleaning house, doing mounds of laundry, and packing for my three trips this week. Decided to take a break for a few and relax while listening to the huge thunderstorm passing by. (I love thunderstorms!)

During my break, I decided to log onto Blogger. I was checking out my friend Ian's site. (http://ianjosephbrook.blogspot.com) His post today is his long missed MEME segments.

In his honor, I thought I would post the same questions.

You rock, Ian!

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course)
A swimming pool. As a child, I grew up in a house that had a pool. All the neighborhood kids would come over each day and swim during the summer. It is the perfect way for a kid to grow up...surrounded by other kids his age. 

As an adult, I still love getting into a pool and feeling the freedom that only being in water can provide. There is a sense of weightlessness there. I can swim for hours on end. Just give me my pool. 

Heck, if I decide to live in the city one day, I will hopefully find a place with a rooftop pool. 

2. What is your dream car?
Cadillac CTS

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
I admit it...I am a Facebooker! Have to stay connected to my peeps! 

If I had to pick another besides Facebook, it would easily be CNN.com. I have to keep in the know! 

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want? 

Sorry, Mikey! 

I am getting the Droid Incredible in a few weeks.

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up? 

I go hiking in the Appalachian Mountains. It is a place where I can go, be alone, clear my head, have a talk with God if I need one, and just chill out. 

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate. 

Most people I know around here seem to hate to fly. Seriously, I love it. There is nothing like getting about the clouds at dusk and seeing the sun on one side of the plane and the moon on the other side. 

 
7. What do you want to be when you grow up? 

I don't want to grow up. I'm a Toys R Us kid! 

I always wanted to be a pediatric oncologist. 

Specifically, I wanted to work for St. Jude. 

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance? 

I actually applied to be on the Real World several years ago. I have always been obsessed! 

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.) 

Easily, Mrs. Horner, 8th grade Honors Algebra. Never would you find a boring day in her class. She made every topic as fun as she could dream. She was also one of the most caring teachers I ever met. On the first day of school, she gave every student her home phone number. We were required to call her if we had homework questions. I used that number on numerous occasions when I needed help. She was always there to provide assistance, or she would most certainly call you back when she got home. She was selfless in her efforts to help each and every student. When I became a teacher, the first thing I did was give my students my number to call when they needed help. It has been the best piece of advice I have ever gotten from her. 

And, YES, her phone number is still the same. I call her from time to time just to catch up.

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do? 

Base jump off the Empire State Building??? It is illegal, and I have always wanted to try base jumping!

11. What were you doing 10 years ago? 

Running around university's campus like a maniac. You all know me...I was involved in so many organizations and my fraternity. Actually, that year I was the pledge educator. It was a crazy senior year. (Minds out of the gutter!)

12. By this time next year, I ... 

Will hopefully be knee deep in my doctoral work. I am ready to get back to the university and get that degree. Finally, I can be called DOCTOR! (Doctorate in Educational Supervision and Administration)

13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing? 

Well, I tried in 2008 to get one elected. I think if the US will ever have a chance at a female President, it should be Hillary Clinton. (Gina Davis played an awesome president on TV though!)

14. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime?

LOL....I am going to plea the 5th amendment on this one.
Wanna know? Gotta ask?

Hey, Ian...Where's question #15?????


16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?

I traveled to Topsail Island, NC for my friend Lynne's wedding. It was a beautiful setting, awesome weather, and the bride was gorgeous! The perfect day for a wedding!

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?

LOL. I use the dictionary, but not for the reasons you think.
Do you know how to make a 6th grader behave? Tell them they will copy a page or two from a dictionary as punishment for not following instructions. Doesn't take but one time to let them know you mean business.

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it?

Mr. C
King Crab
Joey
just to name a few...

19. What are you dreading at the moment?

A long drive tomorrow as the first leg of my three-trip & ten-day marathon. I will be at a conference on Mon - Wed, a training in Nashville Thurs - Sat, and I will be in Washington DC Sun - Wed. OMG!

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

No too much. I am who I am...and that all that I am! (Loved Ian's picture, so I kept it!) 

21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship.

WHAT RELATIONSHIP???

22. What were you doing this morning at 8am?

Sleeping...after being almost struck by lightning this morning (no joke), I went back to bed.

23. Do you have any famous relatives?

Well, in my hometown I have some local celebrities in the family. My family ran the town for years, so everyone knew my family. Here is the list.

Uncle Bob - Mayor
Aunt Sarah - City Council
Cousin Robert - City Manager
Cousin Daniel - Chief of Police
Aunt Barbara - School Board
Aunt Virgie (yes, her actual name) - Police Officer
Aunt Nadine - County Commissioner
Uncle Bobby (yes, another one) - He of the adult education programs for the county

Obviously, my family loves politics. Guess I got bit by that bug.

Beside them though, no other famous family...YET!

24. How many different beverages have you drank today?

ONE - all water...all day!

25. What is something you are excited about?

Getting out of my house for ten days!

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group?

In front of a live audience, it would have been a few months ago when I had to emcee an event at a conference I was attending. There were about 500+ present. No problem.

Now, in front of thousands via television...a few weeks ago I was all over the TV, radio, and the newspaper. It is part of the job of being the president of the teachers' union. I am the face of our teachers. Scary, isn't it!

27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

28. What were you doing at midnight last night?

I cannot remember!

29. What’s a word that you say a lot?

SPAZ
It's a 6th grade thing!

30. Who is your worst enemy?

INSOMNIA

a

Wide Awake!

It is 12:20 AM, and I find myself WIDE AWAKE. So, what does any self-respecting person do at this hour of the night? Lay on the couch...watch a movie...eat wheat thins and sweet orange chevre. Yumm!

Then I decided to being writing this post, and I don't really know if I will ever find the audacity and courage to publish it. I am going to try, however!

In my talks with best friend, Jenny, the other night, we got into a discussion of why I have such a hard time dating and meeting others. As OCD as I am, I have this uncanny need to make you a list of the top three reasons.

1. Who am I disappointing?
Jenny and I decided that one of the reasons I still fight so hard not to meet people is the fact that I have this subconscious fear of disappointing others. Yes, I am 32 years old and need so much approval from others. The question then became, "who am I disappointing?"

First and foremost, I still have this religious battle raging inside of me. I have blogged about this struggle before. It is one of the reasons I denied who I was for YEARS! I have this fear of disappointing God. I know...I know. I have had this discussion with God many times over, and He consistently comes back with the same answer...He is not disappointed in me. For more on how I know that, you will simply have to look at previous blogs from last year. Even after all that time and searching, I have this little part of me that still feels like I am disappointing God. Perhaps I need Him to smack my face and tell me I am being foolish.

Another person I am afraid of disappointing is my mother. For those of you that have yet to figure this one out, I had NO relationship with my mom from age 5 to 18. It has been about a 10-year rebuilding effort on both our parts. I love my mother with all my being. I am so much like her. I have this fear of letting her in on my life. I am so afraid that she will want to disconnect from me if she found out! Just thinking about it makes me shake and choke up a bit. I don't know that I can handle not having her in my life again.


2. I hate sex! 
I can hear the comments and gasps that just took place by those of you who just read that. Before anyone starts to read me the riot act, let me explain!

No doubt that sex can be enjoyable. I just find that I am looking for a relationship in my life that has so many levels. Last on that list is sex. It is not the first requirement in any relationship with a future mate. I just find that  so many I have met want nothing more in the beginning than sex.

It infuriates me! If all I wanted was sex, I now know that everyone is looking for it. Not hard to find. But, that is not me!

I must be one of those rare people who want more out of life and a partner. I want to find someone who is educated, motivated, loves to travel, crazy about movies, loves to go hiking, believes in community service, has a sense of civic responsibility, independent, loves politics, loves the theatre, etc. Most importantly, I want to find a guy who wants a family (aka...kids)!


3. I am constantly on the go.
This should come as no surprise to any of you who really know me. I am a person who finds it difficult to sit still for long periods of time. I don't allow myself a lot of spare time. I am constantly on the move. I am involved heavily in my school, in the teachers' union (I am the local president), and I am involved in several civic and youth organizations in the area. I even chair and sit on various state committees for some of these organizations.

I always knew my life was meant to be one of service. Perhaps I just don't know when to stop or say NO.

Because I am always on the go, it is difficult to get to know someone. I tried that last summer when I met Todd, but he could not handle my hectic schedule. On some level, I see myself scared to try again knowing that my life is still hectic.


There is so much more to all of this, but the three major issues I am having right now are listed above. Feel free to comment, chew me out, whatever! You all are the best. 


Tomorrow I will pack three separate suitcases. I am leaving on Monday morning for three different trips that will run consecutively without a break amongst them. I will be out of town for 10 days. I am so excited to get away, even if two of the trips are for training. 


Take care and goodnight.
Joey

Just Dance

Rarely do I break down and purchase a video game for my Wii. Tonight was an exception.

I had head this game, called "Just Dance," was hilarious. I ran into Best Buy this afternoon and picked it up. The girl at the register was telling me that when the game first premiered, all of the employees would gather in front of the demonstration console and give it a try before they would open each day. She said they played it for a solid month.

I can see why the Best Buy employees played it for a month. I played it for a solid 90 minutes, and I could play for another 90.

I will say this about the game...it wears you out if you play it continually. Good way to get some cardio in for the day!

Anyone else have this game??? Would love to hear your thoughts!

What is It I Want?

The question of the year...WHAT IS IT I WANT?

Had a very long talk with best friend, Jenny, the other night. She and I talked for a good 90 minutes of so about life, in general. Of course, we end up treating each other as though we are one another's therapist.

Jen proposed the question to me, "What is it you want in life and relationships with others?"

My first response to Jen was simply, "Ugh!" What a loaded question. Being as OCD as I am, I decided to make a list of what I want in this life.

I stopped here for a while because the thought of writing out a list was too much for me. Then, out of nowhere, a friend of mine posted this video on FB. As I watched the video, I realized that they represented exactly what I want in life...LOVE!

Todd and Austin's Engagement Session from largo on Vimeo.

PS...Congratulations to Austin and Todd! 

The Story of Sam

Last night I finished watching the movie called "Dear Jack." It is the documented times of Jack's Mannequin front-man, Andrew McMahon.  In 2005, on the verge of releasing his first album as Jack's Mannequin, Andrew learned that he had leukemia. This movie is all about Andrew's fight and recovery from the deadly disease.

To say that this movie ripped my heart apart would be an understatement. Andrew's story hit very close to home, and I found myself with a lump in my throat while watching "Dear Jack."

This year I had a student named Sam. Sam is one of those students whom you cannot help but love. HE is one of these kids who we fought long and hard for to help him succeed. Nothing this year made me happier that when Sam made the honor roll during the last grading period. He has shown that report card to everyone, and his aunt (who is his current caretaker...story coming shortly) tears up every time she talks about it. We are all so proud of him.

So how does Sam fit into this story? Well, Sam's dad has leukemia. I would venture to guess his dad is close to 40 years of age. I have only gotten to meet Sam's dad once this year, and that was in September. Sam looks just like his dad. Blonde hair, blue eyes...Sam will be a lady killer when he gets older. (More than he already is now. LOL)

At the time I met Sam's dad, he was in remission. That miracle did not last very long. His leukemia has come back with a vengeance. I kept in daily contact with Sam's aunt. She is a good friend of mine and a speech  diagnostician in our school system. Sam's dad has taken such a bad turn that we were all afraid he wouldn't make it to the end of the school year. Thankfully, he is still fighting.

I spoke with Sam's aunt yesterday, and she said that Dad came home last week and spent some time with the family. Turns out that he was having a good week. He actually was able to gather enough strength to walk around with Sam and his sister for some time. Alas, he only got to spend a week at home. He had to go back to one of the major hospitals in the state (5 hours away from here), where he currently resides while fighting this disease.

One thing that has really concerned me is that Sam's family has chosen not to disclose just how close to death his father has been with this next bout of leukemia. Sam has no idea that it is so bad. My teammates and I have had some lengthy discussions about this, and we feel that if they do not tell Sam the truth they are likely to feel a backlash of anger and confusion from Sam. Honestly, he is a 12 year old going on 13. He can handle the truth. It will be hard, and there are enough people around him who love him to help get through the rough times. I even told his aunt yesterday that if he needed someone to hang out with I would be glad to take him to the movies, the arcade, laser tag, etc. (See, teachers do care!)

Wow! I did not realize I would be pouring all of that out on you today. Thanks for listening.

In honor of Andrew, I decided to leave a playlist of some of Jack's Mannequin's songs. There is also a video of his song "Resolution."

Night all!