Triple dog dare you...

I am not one to debate or spark drama, but I feel the need to express my feelings on this popular "cold water challenge" debacle.  From what I understand, it is a follow-the-leader event where people are basically dared to jump in to a cold lake to avoid donating money to a charity.  Really?!  This seems backwards to me.  I may be a debbie downer for saying it, but this has got to be one of the most ridiculous fads I've ever seen.  I helped raise money for special olympics AND jumped into a frozen lake as a way to say, "this cause is totally worth it and I'm willing to jump into freezing water if people will help me with the cause".  And now people are copping out on donating to a charity by taking a silly dare and jumping in to a lake.  Umm, okay.  If those people who are jumping in to cold lakes to look cool on Facebook would donate whatever they could afford to a charity of their choice, there would be a good amount of very much needed money that could be put to good use.  If as many people were willing to donate to charity as there are to inflict hypothermia to themselves, what a difference those people could make.  Save your gas money, video taping time and excitement over copy cat challenges and devote it to something useful…make a difference in this corrupt world.  Let's not forget that some people devote their lives to creating charities to raise money for research in hopes of saving their loved ones lives some day…or at least saving lives in the future, while you are playing silly games so you don't have to do something honorable.  I triple dog dare you.

Embrace the Day

I just finished getting Carter ready for his 5th full day of school in a row!  He has made it to school an entire week!  I can't remember the last time this has happened!  Between appointments, hospital admissions, snow days, holidays and sick days...a full week rarely happens.  I am hopeful that these full weeks will prevail now that the worst of the weather is over.  Carter always does much better during the warm months.  These great weeks do wonders for my body, mind and sanity.  All the hard work, hoping and worrying all boil down to the important things in life...happiness, peace and quality of life.  This week is a big victory!  My heart has gotten the little break it needed.  My little warrior has kept all of his food down, smiled, cooperated in therapies, slept through the night and been all around healthy this week.  What I wouldn't give to always have days like these.  My only worry today is getting a couple of Carter's prescriptions authorized and filled.  Anything else is being left in the dust of my escape.  I am not going to worry about tomorrow.  Raising a child with severe and complicated medical problems teaches you things that really matter in life.  It changes you drastically.  I don't have control or choices in many things anymore, but there are some things I CAN control.  I can control the way that I handle problems or struggles; I deal with them when I absolutely need to and forget the ones that don't directly effect me.  I learn to embrace the now; to let go of my mistakes.  There is no room for crap and the reality is; crap doesn't matter.  And if we didn't have rough days, weeks or months...would I truly appreciate the weeks like this one?  As hard as the times can get, I still have choices.  Choices in how I handle them.  In the big pictures, aren't the good weeks really about the little things?  Tolerating the food we are given, smiling, cooperating in what is necessary, a good nights sleep and good health?  It's not just for those who have medical struggles.  All the other crap, is just crap.  So as we admire the beautiful spring sunsets and sunrises, lets not forget or become complacent to their beauty for winter will come again and we will miss days like today.