In Lieu of Christmas Cards...

This year, instead of sending Christmas cards at all to anyone, we will be making a donation to Owen's Toy Box at Women and Children's Hospital at Buffalo, our local chapter of Make a Wish Foundation, and Give Kids the World in memory and honor of Owen and all of the children in need.

 

http://www.akronschools.org/acsd/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=289558

http://westny.wish.org/

https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/GiveKidstheWorld/OnlineGiving.html

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi,

  I hope that everyone is able to enjoy the day, spend quality time with the people they love, and is able to find something to be thankful for, today and every day.

 And--Happy 16th birthday, Seth!  I can't believe that you are already old enough to drive (which is a warning to everyone else who is on the road--jk!) and that I am old enough to have a 16 year old!!  I love you.

Please, don't ask me if I'm over it yet
I'll never get over it 
Please, don't tell me "he's in a better place"
He's not here with me
Please, don't say "at least he isn't suffering"
I haven't come to terms with why he had to suffer at all
Please, don't tell me you know how I feel
Unless you have lost a child
Please, don't ask me if I feel better
Bereavement isn't a condition that clears up
Please, don't tell me "you had him for so many years"
What year would you chose for your child to die?
Please, don't tell me "God never gives more than we can bear"
Please, just say you are sorry
Please, just say you remember my child
Please, just let me talk about my child
Please mention my child's name
Please, just let me cry.

~anonymous

Here is a link to the fundraiser that the school is doing for Owen's Toy Box!

http://www.akronschools.org/acsd/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=289558

I hope that everyone has had the chance to watch Owen's story. If nothing else, I am hoping that his story helps to raise awareness for childhood cancer, and that it helps people cherish their children, and to stop "sweating the small stuff". In life, we take far too much for granted, and we focus on things that really are no big deal in the grand scheme of life. We need to focus more on the "Big rocks" in our lives, and less on the gravel, sand, and water...

Stephen Covey's Big Rock story provided the inspiration for this month's issue. A time management guru was speaking to a group of type "A" personalities. He placed a wide-mouth gallon jar on the table in front of him. Next to the jar was a collection of fist-sized rocks. He carefully filled the jar with the big rocks, until he could fit no more.  He asked the group, "Is the jar full?" Everyone responded, "Yes."  He then pulled a large bowl of gravel from under the table and proceeded to pour the gravel into the jar. The gravel fit into the spaces between the rocks. He again queried, "Is the jar full?" "Probably not," was the group's reply. He reached for another bowl, this one filled with sand. He dumped the sand into the jar. The sand filled the spaces not taken by the rocks and the gravel. Once more, he asked, "Is the jar full?" "No," everyone agreed. Finally, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured water into the jar until it was filled to the top. The time management guru looked at the group and asked, "What is the point of my illustration?" One man replied, "That no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit one more thing into it." "No!" the guru responded. The point of this illustration is, "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all!" The moral of Covey's story is: Get the important things figured out first, make time for them above all else, then fit everything else in around them. In other words, know what your priorities are....make sure you are spending more time on the "big rocks" than worrying about the "water". Don't sweat the small stuff. In the end, it isn't what truly matters.

Here is the link to the WGRZ web site where you can read about Owen, and watch the video...

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=62118&catid=37#comments

 I am hoping that bringing Owen's story to the public will help to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Awareness+research=a cure!!

  Missing Owen....

Tomorrow Channel 2 (WGRZ) will be airing a two minute segment on Owen's inspirational life on the 11 o'clock (PM) news!!  Set those DVR's and I will be posting a link to their web page when one is available!

  I got a glimpse today of how difficult Christmas will be this year when I went into a local drugstore. The first thing I see in the window is a Chia Pet Scooby Doo-which was the number 1 item on Owen's Christmas list last year.  The, of course, all of the decorations, and music, etc...My little Frogger loved the holidays-who doesn't?  

  Missing Owen......

One month ago, Owen passed away. Things I have realized since then---1.) Him being gone doesn't get any easier without him, in fact, I think that time has made it more difficult.  Reality has set in.  2.) There is a difference in knowing something, and in believing it.  I knew he was gone a month ago...now I am starting to believe it.  3.) Love doesn't die when a person does. Last night when I was feeling particularly sad about something unrelated to him, the Build a Bear that he made me went off, and Owen's recorded voice said "I love you".  It happened again today.  Normally, the only way it goes off is if I specifically press it-I sleep with it nightly, and no matter how much I move, it hasn't gone off accidentally.  He was sending me a hug for sure...

   The first day I went back to work, I kept picturing how excited he would be when I would return home from somewhere, and how happy it made me to see him. I had to face the day knowing that his smiling face, giggle, hugs, kisses, and sweet voice would not be there when I returned. Sometimes, on bad days, that was enough to help me get through.  He was the one and only person who totally and completely loved me without expecting anything in return.  I have pictures of him looking at me, and I can see that love on his face, in his eyes...I hope he knows it was recriprocated.

  Missing Owen...

 

Tomorrow, it will be one month since Owen passed.  This week, I have been watching some videos of him-he makes me laugh, even now...

It was my first day back to work today.  It was good to be back-I did get to see some friendly faces, which was nice.  I did think about how Owen used to get so excited and greet me when I returned home, and was quite sad with the realization that he would not be doing so.

  It was a beautiful day out, though!  Supposed to be warm for a few more days, which is nice-at least I don't have to worry about snow boots yet!

  Missing Owen...

  

I hope that everyone had a fun Halloween.  I liked watching the school parade, wishing Owen had been in it, although he certainly would have been in a wheelchair, as he would not have been able to walk all of that way.  He would have loved it, though. I wonder what he would have chosen to be? He wore costumes frequently, so trying to decide on one might have been a problem!

  Anthony was all in camoflauge.  He did pretty well with receiving candy. So well, in fact, that he didn't mind handing over some of my favorites for my consumption!

   We didn't carve pumpkins this year, and I was a neglectful mother and didn't send anything in for the class Halloween party. Hopefully, I will do much better with that in years to come.

 Missing Owen...