Why I Relay

I am participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life
because I want to make a meaningful difference in the fight against
cancer.

Cancer has been a plague on both sides of my family for as long as
most of us can remember. All different kinds to so many amazing
people.

Currently my Papa is battling lung cancer. He has done 2 rounds of
radiation, chemo and a pill therapy and can do nothing more since he is also battling COPD. The lung cancer is a result of Agent Orange and I'm sure working in
maintenance in the public school in Lawton OK in the 70's. He is such an amazing man and so strong. He strives to keep going even though we lost our Nana (his wife) a year ago so suddenly. So many times, I can't believe he hasn't just given up so he can be with her. I can only guess that he knows we need him too.

Another Amazing Woman Gone

So recently I wrote a blog about my amazing Nana's passing. It's been a little over 3 months. Well, early Thursday morning we lost another amzing persn in our lives.

My Grandmother. Wanda Jean Fietz.

She left us at about 5 AM that morning. This was so sudden for us. She had been taken to the hospitalbfor nausea and weakness and turns out she had had a heart attack. No one knew. She had had no pain at all. But this just shows you how strong of a woman she was. She even knew that she woukd be leaving us and going to join the Lord. She had a Guardian Angel she had told us about on many occassions. I believe she had told her she would be leaving us and making sure she got to see as much of her family as she could and saying goodbye to her friend.

She was amazing in that aspect. I always loved her stories of incidences of her Angel or other stories of her life. Even though I'd heard them many times, I nevermind hearing them. My favorite was of when she was younger, she hadbeen in downtown OKC to do some kind of testing for the IRS and hr and a frind had gone to eat in an undergroun mall there when apipe had bursted. They had to run to escae the flooding water, when the escelators flattened out for emergency reasons ti avoid shock from the water. She told me of a man that helped to lift her and her friend up iut of the area. I loved that story, even though I'd heard it many times. I still have not visited this underground mall. We always talked of going together. I still plan to find it and witness the setting of one oof my favorite stories.

One of the greatest women in my life

About three months ago, I lost yet another wonderful person in my life. But this time, it was the closest person I have ever lost in my life.

My Nana.

LaVonne Lake

She was an amazing person. She was strong and independent and everything I strive to be. She raised 4 children almost alone while my Papa was in the Army. They moved to Lawton, OK finally from Rockford, IL.

We were so close since she used to babysit my brother and I all the time when we were younger and lived closer. She wasn't that typical grandmother, that I didn't really know and just shied away from. Although, she lived 4 hours away from me pretty much all my life, I was extremely close to her. I could talk to her about anything. She always made an attempt to come see my dance recitals when she could, which meant the world to me since dance was a huge part of my life growing up. She was always sure to send me cards for every occasion, newspaper clippings of articles she thought I'd like, recipes, religious books, health tips she'd cut out from magazines and much much more. Even though I'd only see her a few times each year, its like we'd never skipped a beat.

Christmas with the Family

So, I am just laying here in my Aunts bed watching football. Christmas here is over, the food has been eaten (partially), and the presents for the night have all been opened. I'm sitting here thinking about people wanting more presents or wanting something else and I see my little cousin Josie running around taking pictures of everyone and I think, "this is what's most important." It's not important how much money we got or how many gifts we opened, all though we should all be thankful for the time and effort someone put into getting us them, but it's our family. You never know if it will be someone's last time to celebrate or see everyone.

I just ask that everyone on Christmas to tell at least one person that you love them and appreciate them. If you tell more that's amazing.

With all the health issues in my family right now, I realize how petty it is to be complaining about having to run errands we don't want to or that someone has said something that didn't set well with us. I'm so blessed that I still have my Nana and Papa here this Christmas and that I have all my family around me.

Now I'm out in my Aunts kitchen with my cousin on my lap and I think that this is the life that I want and love.