My 15 Year Old Self

This morning a friend on Facebook, that I've known in real life for decades that happens to be a lot younger than me (15+ years younger), posted a picture of herself when she was 15 years old. She wondered if her 15 year old self would approve of her so far. She married pretty young and has 3 sweet little kids. Her oldest is in kindergarten. Her husband has a good job and their house is quite nice. She felt pretty sure that her 15 year old self would be pleased. I smiled at the thought of her doing that and went on with my day.

About an hour ago, a mutual friend who happens to be somewhere in between our ages, followed in her footsteps. However, her life has been quite different. She also married young. In fact, she married her high school sweetheart, who turned out to be abusive to her and their kids. She is now re-married to a wonderful guy, but she is still dealing with the abusive ex's behavior towards the kids. I think it is safe to say that she feels she has been raked over the coals. Her conclusion was that her 15 year old self would be scared to death, but would be proud of her current self.

Because both of them did this little exercise, I wondered about my 15 year old self. It was quite a long time ago for me. I know that I thought I knew a lot more about life than I actually did. I pretty much knew everything. What a fun age! Well, I would NEVER have guessed that I would end up living in Texas, being divorced, being a single mom, having a career where I worked from home on my computer, and basically a million more things in life.

Even though life is a huge messy ball of twine, I am actually happier now than I was then. Mainly, that is because I simply crave independence. I couldn't wait to move out and be on my own. Now that I think about it, being a single mom is about the most independent you can be. I don't have to compromise or ever check with anyone about their opinions.

Many parts of life could be better. I always wanted kids, lots of kids. I feel blessed to have 2 amazing ones. They are a huge part of my happiness. Of course, I dreamed of my own knight-in-shining-armor who I would live happily ever after with. I still do. ..Maybe one day that will come true and I will even happily compromise on many things. My 15 year old self can just continue dreaming.      

Better as an Old Friend

I have lived in this town several times in my life.  The first time my family moved here, I was only 16.  I had a whole year of high school here and made quite a few friends that I am still close to.  At least a handful of friends fit into this category. I love them dearly along with their spouses, kids and parents.  We go through phases where we see each other quite often and talk on the phone.  Then we'll go through phases where we don't communicate very much for a few weeks or months.  I have already put in the time and effort with my old friends so we can pick up right where we left off.  It is comfortable and we know each other's history.  I love sharing life with them.  I love knowing where they came from and seeing the progress and how well they handle the trials in life.  When we talk, they know that I am not that strange or only what I am right now.  They can see phases in life or why I am the way I am.

I also have other friends that I made during that time period that I am not really close with (mostly old church friends), but that I am thrilled to run into around town.  It is fun to catch up and even share an occasional activity.  Both types of these long term friends hold a special place in my heart and I feel like I am good at being their friend.  

On the other hand, we've lived here (this time) for the past 3 1/2 years and I've made quite a few new friends.  I think they are wonderful and I like them a lot, but I just don't feel like I am able to be a good friend to them.  At first, I wondered if it is because I feel so deeply for my old friends that it is strange to like the new ones.  It actually took a while for me to realize that some of the new people I spend time with are actually "friends." Now that I see that, I understand that relationships just take work.  

Sadly, I am stretched too thin as it is. In order to develop a friendship, it takes time and effort. The new friends want to talk more and hang out several times a week. I feel like I am being a little rude because I am just too busy.  Whenever we talk on a deeper level, it turns into a whole long conversation explaining the back story.  I don't mind sharing or listening, but it really isn't as easy as it is with my old friends.  Many of them are fairly new to this area and they are wanting to find people to do things with.  That is also difficult for me because I don't have money for extra things like going to lunch.  I also work full time and many of them are stay-at-home moms.  

I feel very fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life.  I just hope that I am not failing them or making them feel like I don't care.    

Birthday Post

My mom has a Pinterest board that features people laughing or smiling really big.  She tells me that looking at these photos makes her happy.  There is an infectious cheery feeling that comes from seeing others elated.  I think it is a type of happiness that we need more of.  That is why I decided to post the picture above.  It isn't the kind of picture that I like to share.  My eyes are closed and I look pretty silly, but it is undoubtedly a special moment.  My kids are around me and I am talking to one of my best friends.  I think that is why my mom snapped the photo. It was taken 3 days ago at Lexi's birthday party.

My birthday is today.  I'm 41 now.  That age neither depresses nor excites me.  It is just a fun day with lots of people giving me well wishes.  I honestly believe that life goes better when people are sending positive thoughts your way.  It is a day when I truly love Facebook, which isn't something that I have felt lately.  FB has been a messenger of sadness for the past few weeks for many different friends.  Today, I choose to cherish the good times spent with the many people that have carved a place in my heart.  I feel loved and full of love.

Santa Thing

This year, quite a few people have told me that their kids, who are in 5th and 6th grades, still believe in Santa.  I don't know if that is happening all over the US, but it seems to be rather common here.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it is because Texans tend to get very festive.  There are quite a few homes here that rival Clark W. Griswold's.  Perhaps it has something to do with technology advances.  With online orders and overnight shipping, it doesn't seem that far fetched.  Kids can even track Santa's progress on a website. Movies have also gotten better, even though they all still raise questions and doubts when trying to convince the audience to believe.

Isn't it interesting how parents all handle Christmas and Santa differently?  One of my brothers decided long ago that absolute truth is vital in a parent/child relationship.  I've seen his children struggle a little because they would really like to believe in Santa.  However, I don't think his strategy hurts them at all.  I have friends who play up the Santa story.  My mom didn't ever go overboard, but she still likes to say something like you have to believe to get presents.

I tend to fall in the middle of extremes on many things.  When it comes to Santa, I just say we do not know all the details.  I tell the kids that people try to figure out the mystery all the time, but we wake up on Christmas morning and there are presents waiting for us.  It allows me a little room to be wishy washy.  I think this approach gives them room to believe and have a healthy amount of doubt.  Santa isn't all about the kids though.  It turns out, that I get to enjoy the element of fantasy that Santa brings to Christmas.    

Christmas Love

This Christmas has been completely amazing in so many unexpected ways.  First of all, I didn't think I would be able to spend it with my two favorite people in the world.  This year, their dad was scheduled to have them for Christmas.  Fortunately, my ex brought them over first thing this morning and we all spent the day together.

I also believed it would be a sad little Christmas because I just couldn't manage to spend money on presents.  Even with help, I am struggling to pay bills this month.  I know I am pretty verbal on the blog about financial struggles, but in real life I keep it pretty quiet.  It is just part of my life and we manage somehow.

This month, the spirit of Christmas must have swelled in the hearts of people (my boss, friends, family, & church members) because they came out of the woodwork to shower us with gifts and acts of kindness. Their generosity was so overwhelming that I often shed a tear.  My mom did too whenever I told her about another person who went out of their way to do something for us.  The gifts weren't only for my kids either.  I can understand how people would want to make sure kids have a good Christmas, but I can't believe how much people gave and thought about me.  Of course, I would have been thrilled if Lexi and Jordan were the only ones spoiled, but I was too.

In the end, I realize it really is the thought that counts.  The wonderful gifts they gave us showed me how much love and kindness there is in the world, especially where we live.  How amazing it is to have love in this world.  More than anything, this all makes me wish I could afford to do grand things for them and others.

Lifetime Friendships

One of my close friends had his 40^th birthday party this weekend.  I must admit that it is nice to get together with people in my age range before my big birthday hits.  It helps me realize that it is not such a big deal and that I’m very lucky to be living somewhere that I have so many wonderful friends.  I spent most of the evening catching up with another friend’s wife.   

By the end of the party, a group of us ended up standing around talking for a while.  Several of the guys got sentimental and appreciative of our long lasting friendship.  Sometimes I can't believe how many great friends I have had for over 20 years. Now, I can skip closer to my birthday feeling even happier for friendships that span a lifetime.  

Lice Prevention Fanatic

A little over a year and a half ago before I moved back to Texas, one of my good friends here quickly became a lice expert.  She would treat it, but it kept going around her school and coming back again.  She ended up doing a lot of research on the internet and driving herself half insane trying to completely rid her family of this problem.  I remember her horror stories too well. 

For some strange reason, I started talking about lice two weeks ago to another friend.  We were talking about how horrible it would be.  Like me, she has long hair and so does her daughter.  She commented that she would probably go to a specialist and pay the $500 for them to get rid of it.  I didn't know that was an option, but realistically, it is not an option for me to pay that kind of money.  I was just glad that I hadn't heard of any cases. 

Last Monday, I decided to shave Jordan’s hair.  I had been thinking about letting it grow a little since winter is coming, but I pulled out the clippers and buzzed it off without even thinking about it.  On Thursday, I was so glad I did.  I got a note from his school saying a child had lice.  All the kids were checked, but they wanted us to keep an eye out.  Suddenly, I was so thankful to have a son that is too energetic to cuddle or lie down where other kids have been lying.  Good thing, they don’t have nap time for his age at pre-school. 

My alert level was definitely kicked up another notch this weekend when a friend whose kids attend a neighboring elementary told me that her daughter got lice last week.  She said that the best treatment is olive oil in a shower cap for about an hour and using a flat iron.  The chemical shampoo sold at the store is not only very harsh, but the lice have become resistant to it.  She also recommended tea tree oil.  I already use tea tree shampoo for the kids, so I didn't think too much about it.  She lent us one of her flat irons in case we would need it. 

I made sure to wash Lexi’s hair with tea tree shampoo last night.  Another good practice that I already do is that I RARELY let Lexi go to school with her hair down or even in a pony tail.  I was feeling pretty safe.

This evening, I took the kids on a walk.  We saw one of my neighbors/friends and I asked her how she was doing.  She said, “Horrible!”  Then, she proceeded to explain that she just noticed her daughter in 4^th grade came home with lice.  I told her about the olive oil and cap.  As my kids and I walked home, I decided to kick up my lice prevention a notch. We headed to the grocery store and bought 2 bottles of tea tree oil (one for us & one for my neighbor).  My kids will get a little drop on their necks every morning.  Lexi will also not only have a braid; her hair will be up in a bun.  I'll have to get creative.  I have cautioned her about hugging other kids and laying her head on their shoulders.  Sadly, this is no time to be affectionate.    

Thanksgiving Post 2011

This evening, I suddenly felt like I wanted to make a list of things I am thankful for.  It is a little long and I don't care if anyone else reads it.  It was simply a great reminder for me. 


I, Freckle Face Girl, remember:

1. I am thankful for my kids and the opportunity to be their mom. A while ago, I was in a class where the teacher asked us to think about what we were born to do. I realized that I was born to be a mom. That doesn’t mean that I am perfect (far from it), but I am passionate about it and I truly feel it is one of the aspects that helps to define me.


2. I am thankful for my job. I started working for this company almost 10 years ago. Life certainly has changed since then, but they continue to give me a pay check as well as moral support.


3. I am thankful that I work from home. At times it is tougher than working in an office, but it also allows me to live closer to the type of lifestyle I think is best for me and my kids. I realize that not many people are this lucky.


4. I am thankful that my kids go to fantastic schools and have great teachers. Most importantly, they are happy.


5. I am thrilled to be raising my kids in an area where their influences are mostly positive. I am amazed that elementary aged kids here only know “bad” words to be things like stupid, duh, and shut-up.


6. I am thankful that my mom has been such a great support my whole life, and especially over the last few years. Beyond her moral support, she continues to pay my health insurance and do whatever she can for me and the kids.


7. I am thankful for my family and glad that drama is not part of the dynamics. It isn’t because we are not bursting with personality. We just believe everyone is crazy, so we don’t get offended easily/at all.


8. I am thankful for the many wonderful friends I have made in my life and the ability to stay connected to them.  I am also glad for friends that treat us like family and invite us to spend holidays (Thanksgiving) with them.


9. I am thankful that I attend a church with great people who are kind, compassionate, fun, smart, and continually working to improve themselves.


10. I am thankful for the many wonderful ways that my impossible prayers have been answered. One or two were even mind-blowing.


11. I am thankful for the opportunities to help others. It is amazing how those simple acts inspire someone to pay it forward or come back and return the favor years later (see #10).


12. I am thankful that this year is coming to an end. Before this year even started, I had a premonition (link to post) it was going to be tough and it truly has been. Now, I am just hoping something will brighten up next year. – So far, I have received no premonitions either way…


13. Maybe it is cheesy to end it like this, but…. I am thankful to be single so that I don’t have to share the master suite. I just LOVE having my own walk-in-closet and bathroom.

Feeling Old

It is funny what things make a person feel old.  For the past several months, it has been the fact that someone I knew from Jr High, Shawn Lindsay, was running to be a State House Representative in Oregon.  It makes me feel even older than knowing that my 20 year high school reunion is next summer.  He won yesterday, so I can't continue to pretend that he was just way too young for this type of thing.

Book Contest

For many, tomorrow (April 15) is a stressful day. This year, I am quite excited about it because my friend, Sarah DeFord Williams, is going to be experiencing one of the most thrilling days of her life. Tomorrow, her book, Palace Beautiful, is going to be released!!!! (amazon link)

I met Sarah when we were 16 right after my family moved to Katy, Texas. We went to the same school and church. I was always impressed by her creativity, artwork, and musical skills. Of course, I had no idea that she would one day become an accomplished writer. We went off to different colleges and I think I only saw her a few times after that. Fortunately, through the magic of FB and blogs we have been able to catch up.

About a month ago, she received several galley copies (which I now know are advance soft-cover copies that are given out for people who write reviews). She decided to have a little contest on FB and somehow, despite the fact that I am usually unlucky, I won one. She even wrote a great note and signed it for me.

Of course, I could rave about what a fabulous book it is, but most of you would think I was just saying that because we are friends. Instead, I am posting a review from an unbiased party:

Review

I am also posting an article written about her:

Article

Besides the fact that I am very happy for her, I am posting about her book because I have decided to have a contest. I think someone else should get the thrill of winning her amazing book, so I am going to draw names on April 23rd. You can enter by leaving a comment or e-mailing me at frecklefacegirl01@hotmail.com. Please let me know that you are interested and provide a way for me to contact you in case you win.

I will print out the entries & put them in a bowl for Lexi to draw. Then, I will post the winner’s name (or blog identity) & contact them for their address so I can send a copy of this great book.

Let Down

Some times coming home from a vacation feels so good. Other times, it is not fun to go back to reality. The kids and I had a great time in Utah. It was fun being around friends, catching up with people I hadn't seen in too long, having my kids play with other great kids, and just enjoying a change of scenery. Plus, I had so many more people that I wanted to catch up with, but didn't get a chance to.

Being back hasn't been exactly great. It didn't help that I came back to a big work deadline.

I especially miss my friend, Annette, whom I stayed it. I realize that I feel a little lonely here in California. It was amazing spending time with a best friend. I had someone cool to talk to every day.

Also, I actually met a nice guy while I was there. We went on 4 great dates and hit it off. I enjoyed being excited about a guy. A good looking nice guy is a rare thing, but I know how long distance relationships go. It is hard enough to have a regular relationship for single parents.

We are back now and getting into our normal routine. I have decided that it is time to really hit a few of my new year’s resolutions. I am back to loving the gym and eating healthy. I guess I can already check off the going on a date or two.

Haircut

When I first saw my friend that I am staying with in Utah, I loved her hair.  The more I was around her, the more I liked it.  She offered to cut my hair like it.  I know I am a little old to be letting a friend cut my hair, but she has always been great at hair.  Plus, her mom is/was a beautician.  So...now my hair has layers and a bit of life in it.

Remembering Haiti

Last week, most Americans probably couldn’t pick out Haiti on a map. Even fewer can actually say they have been there. I have.

Back in the summer of 2000, I worked for an engineering company that had a contract with Royal Caribbean. We were working on what they refer to as the “private island” they named “Labadee.” It is actually a strip of land on the northern coast of Haiti.

My company hired private planes to fly down almost every other week. Somehow, we were asked to assist them with a huge insurance evaluation. Someone from our firm needed to go down to take pictures and note everything on the “island.” Most people in the office did what they could to avoid going there. Since I love to travel ANYWHERE, always want another stamp in my passport, and would be crazy enough to do it… they asked me.  Of course, I was thrilled (and I would go again).

I flew down on a 10 passenger jet plane with a few of the guys overseeing construction from our firm and a couple of employees from Royal Caribbean. We landed in Cap-Haïtien, which is about 80 miles from Port-au-Prince (where the earthquake hit). It was a small airport that didn’t even have a paved runway.

 We stepped out of the plane and were ushered into a bullet proof passenger van by two armed guard that were hired to escort us around. To get out of the airport, we had to go through a security gate because the entire airport was surrounded by huge prison like barbed-wire fences. When we finally emerged, the van was swarmed by beggars. It was covered like flies. I was honestly scared that one would get run over. Of course, our driver was used to it and didn’t really care.

 I knew that Haiti is known for its extreme poverty and military upheavals, but you can never be prepared to witness it in person. I don’t have the words to clearly describe it, so I found some pictures on the internet (http://www.traveladventures.org). I didn’t take any of my own because we were in a van and because I felt like I would be another American gawking at them.

This week, all the news coverage has brought back memories of that trip and the sadness I felt just witnessing their daily lives. I can’t begin to imagine the added horror that the earthquake has brought upon them. I can only feel a sense of relief that two of my friends/former co-workers who moved back to Haiti (one in Port-au-Prince) are reported to be “fine.” As for the one in Port-au-Prince, I am guessing that means he and hopefully his wife and kids are alive.  I am hoping it means they still have a house and at least most of their friends and family are alive.

Searching for Friends

Moving to San Diego has changed a lot of things in our lives including going from an area where we all had lots of wonderful friends to a place where we have none. I am ok with it and Jordan isn't doing too badly, but Lexi really misses playing with kids. We go to the park and lots of places with kids around, but not anywhere to develop relationships.

I have tried a few things. I started by going to my mom's church. I thought that would be the easiest way, but I was very unimpressed. I also looked for playgroups online. There are very few whose categories we fit into. The best ones seem to be for lesbians or moms with babies. I found one that looked promising. They meet at a park on the beach every Thursday morning. I got the kids ready and headed there this morning. I was greatly disappointed. I would not have classified it as a "play" group. It was a bunch of moms exercising with their kids were strapped into strollers. The playgroup I am looking for will actually have the kids playing. It isn't about me, besides I prefer to exercise on my own.

I guess I'll start taking them to library reading time and see if there are any fun looking moms & kids there. We've also signed Lexi up for ballet lessons. Perhaps, we'll meet friends there. Other than that, I don't know what to do. Does anyone have suggestions?

Hand-Me-Downs

A few weeks ago, I started going through the kids’ old clothes and toys. I pulled out Lexi’s nicer clothes and decided to give them to a friend who has a two year old. Since then, I have seen her wearing a few of the outfits. I had no idea how happy it would make me to see her in the clothes. She is a cute little blonde and easily reminds me of Lexi at that age. It is funny that something so simple can bring back such fond memories.

Everything is Fine

Two weeks ago, I called a friend. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. She denied it and tried to make small talk. We have been friends for a long time and I know probably all of her secrets, but I played along. A few minutes into the conversation, she burst into tears and said she couldn’t talk right now.

Every few days since then, I have called her and slowly she divulged all the different issues bothering her. Mainly, she was worried that her career had taken a nose dive. For the past seven years, she has been working for the devil-incarnate. I have been hearing some rather extreme horror stories since she started. The whole thing finally blew up and she is suddenly without a job in a time when the economy is frightening. On top of that, every shot she has had turned sour as soon as they checked with past employers (we all know which one). I am actually listed as one of her references, because she assisted me with Marketing at a company where we worked together. I have yet to receive a call.

I gave her a few words of advice, but nothing very helpful. Two nights ago, the answer suddenly came to me. I knew exactly who she should work for and no other references besides mine would be necessary. Yesterday, after I made a few calls, she was offered a dream job working from home. Maybe I shouldn't say "dream job," she isn’t making an ideal salary to start off. However, by the end of the day, she was walking on sunshine. She went from the depths of despair to the highest of highs.

I have been thinking about this situation since then and I realize that opening up to others and networking can really work miracles. You never know who will be your link in the chain. For a while, I didn’t even realize that I was that link for her. This world really is small. Now, I just have to take my own advice and stop keeping all my problems bottled up. ...we'll see.

Christmas Guilty Pleasure

For Thanksgiving, my freshman year of college, I took a road trip with a new friend. We went to San Diego to spend it with her family. On the drive, she popped in an old cassette of Wham! In one of the songs, and deep voice came on and said, "Touch This." We laughed until we cried and kept rewinding it. I can't even tell you what song it was. Of course, I've never heard that version on the radio, but since then all Wham and George Michael songs take me back to that trip. She is still one of my best friends, but we don't live close so these little flash backs are extra special.

As many of you know, I am quite a festive person. I like cheesy Christmas music. Combine that with a Wham song & you have a winner. Unfortunately, I've only heard their Christmas song twice this year and once was in Target (so that doesn't count). ...I googled it & found the video on YouTube. I'll make you all suffer with my guilty pleasure.

You Were Wrong Mom

When I was about 14, I had a “boyfriend” - as in a classmate asked me to “go steady” with him. My family was living smack in the middle of Utah at the time, which means we were surrounded by a 99% Mormon population. Something you may not know about Mormons is that in general they are not allowed to date until they are 16 years old. We attended a middle school where dances consisted of the boys trying to act cool against one wall and the girls giggling against the other wall. There was not exactly a lot of interaction. Our “relationship” consisted of talking on the phone in the evenings and being too embarrassed around each other to say more than “Hi” at school. We didn't even get close to holding hands. By the way, his best friend had a similar relationship with my best friend.

A real breakthrough came right before his 14th birthday. We had probably been “together” for a month or less. He wanted my best friend and his to go with us to see a movie in the little local theater, where everyone in town went. His mom was even going to go and sit behind us. My best friend’s mom said she could go if I could (probably because she knew that my parents were utlra religious). My mom said, “No, that it was a date.” I couldn’t believe it, especially with his mom going! I reasoned, begged, pleaded and did just about everything to convince my mom to let me go. A word of advice...never go up against a red headed Irish mom, it is just a waste of time and energy. She had heard some statistic that girls have s*e*x exactly two years after their first date. She was not going to budge. As you can guess, nobody got to go. Probably a week or two later, we broke up for whatever childish reason. We were still friends though, which is basically what we were when we were “going together.”

Recently, through the power of internet networking, we found each other and have chatted a little. It turns out that he is gay, which incidentally makes me like him more (as a person of course). I can only imagine how difficult it was growing up in the middle of Utah. He is not living there anymore. He has even travelled a lot and lives an interesting life. Now, I really wish we would have been better friends. I called my mom up to let her know that in the end I was right. She didn’t have to worry about anything happening between us. Of course, she is a much more laid back person twenty + years later. She just laughed. She also denies knowing that his mom was going to go. I am sure I stressed that point in my pleading. I called one of my brothers who was about 7 at the time just to make sure & he remembered that detail.

Moral of the story - Sometimes the teenager is right….but don’t quote me on that in about 12 years, when I am battling my kids.

Advice for a Friend

Lately, I have had several friends contact me asking for advice on major life issues. While I am normally good at coming up with points they should consider, this is not exactly a good time to get my brain in gear. Months of very little sleep has created a fog around my brain, which in turn has depleted my IQ.

The first friend that called had a tricky scenario about whether or not she should marry someone. Given the fact that she is extremely bright (I’d say genius), I wasn’t too worried about helping her. She probably just needed someone to bounce ideas off of or just talk it through to. I can always half way listen.

Another friend (from Miami) sent me an e-mail that has really thrown me for a loop. The issue is SO huge that I am hesitant to step in because she will probably follow my advice. I am putting it out there so that we can come up with several ideas for her. As a little background, she has a teenage (15 or 16 years old) son that is quite shy and has always struggled in school. This is the e-mail she sent:

Things have been really hectic at my home. My son is going through a major depression (including hospitalization at Christmas). It is so stressful and hurtful when your kid is not happy. He is so "unsocial" that he just hangs out in his room. I feel so bad for him and I cannot fix him. He was on Prozac for a couple of months, but it made things worse. Now they are trying to get that out of his system so he is not taking anything. He goes back to the doctor on Wednesday and she is going to try him on another medication. It is worrying me so much because I cannot have him get worse again. He was talking about killing himself. I don’t know what to do anymore, Stephanie. Do you have any suggestions? He does not want to talk to me. He just tells me to leave him alone.

If it were me, I would call a family friend that is a very good therapist here in Houston. Whatever he said, I would do. I would also never leave the kid alone. We’d be stuck like glue so he would not have a chance to do anything horrible. I know that every teenager would hate to get that much attention from their mother, but that is what I’d do. Please leave comments with your advice, so that I can try to help her.

By the way, two very sad posts in a row does not mean that I am sad. Quite frankly, I am too tired to be depressed.

Sad Day

Today, the world lost a very lovely girl. I blogged about her in June shortly after she was diagnosed with brain cancer. I received news that my friend's fiancé passed away this morning. It is difficult to understand why a stunningly gorgeous, sweet, and fit girl in her mid-twenties would fall so quickly. Two years ago, everyone was shocked by how fast my seemingly healthy father deteriorated and died from the same thing. Cancer has no favorites.