My Recipe For Life! (To Thank You All)

I've been mortally scared three times in my life. The first time was the period before Jeffrey was born, when I was in the hospital for seven weeks and his health (and life) were uncertain. The second time was when my Mama got sick and eventually died from complications from open heart surgery.

And the third time occurred over the past three weeks.

I've always been terrified of cancer. I'm so thankful I don't have cancer.

I learned something these past few weeks, and it is a recipe I think belongs on this blog: it's My Recipe for Life.

Take one part pure emotion, from friends, students, and family from here to Washington State to New York to Tampa Bay to Spain to Belize and Wales and back again;
Add a generous dash of humor, from the Hamster Dance to Fierce Frog and Operation games and Witchy-Poo Hats and casting Satan out of my office for good measure (Shundra, you were right all along);
Sprinkle with heartfelt treats, like homemade GF pound cakes, ginger cookies, Coke Zeros, and Snickers Bars (as Snickers are naturally gluten free);
Brighten the flavor with cards and flowers and beautiful letters from dear, dear friends. Emails in the middle of the night. And Facebook notes. And phone calls burning up the wires!
Fold in the gathering of dear friends and my dearer family, flecked with an hour of Polka Joe and Oma and the Ooompahs;
Salt with a good cup of tears, a little displaced anger and some bitterness, because we all got scared in the middle there;
Pepper with cursings at cancer from those who sadly know all to well about it;
Toss generously with strong, fervent prayer, positive thoughts, and a knitted Linus blanket.
For good measure, add a miracle.

Serve in the beautiful silver bowl from the Peachtree Street Girls, while wearing a Braves Cap!

I can never, ever, thank you enough for all you've done for me this past few weeks. New friends. Old friends. ALL friends. You have given me the strength I needed to get through yesterday. And we did it together.

At this moment, pick the song of your choice and join me as I rejoice!

Much love. Really.

Ging