Stay Strong

For nearly a year I have been wearing one bracelet on my left wrist every day. Within the last few weeks while living here at the hospital, I have received a few more that have become part of my daily wear. They all remind me of strength and bring me joy. Let me tell you a few stories about my bracelets.

First, I wear a magnetic bracelet given to me by my mom. I think about togetherness. While I may be an introvert at heart, being together with great friends and family generally adds extra sunshine to my day. This reminds me of a quote I've been sharing recently.

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." 

I took this top photo here in the ICU. It is a beautiful mural that brings sunshine inside these walls. Despite the roller coaster ride of the last few weeks, every day has still been a good day. We deal with the bumps, stay strong, and end the day thinking about the moments of sunshine. Those moments are even better when shared with somebody.

Second, I now wear a blessing bracelet given to me by a family friend about a week ago. It came in the mail along with a gift for my aunt. It came with some of the kindest words reassuring this place that my life has brought me to, as I continue to understand more each day since the moment when my life changed course.

I am glad I have been able to be here for my aunt and uncle even though we have been thrown plenty of curveballs. Just more reminders to stay together and strong.

Finally, just yesterday my 16-year old friend Nick and his family gave me this blue "Stay Strong" bracelet. Nick was staying here at the hospital for another round of chemotherapy. I was able to spend some time with him and his dad Mike while they were here. He continues to enjoy life despite the battles he has been fighting. He told me all about his Star Wars Lego collection, we played a few games, and just hung out. 

It's been a little while since I've seen his dad last, hadn't seen Nick in 3 years, and was able to meet his mom this time. Despite the unfortunate circumstances it was nice spending some time together. I am thankful for those smiling moments.

If any of you remember a post back in April, I ran in a 5K race. I ran that race in support of Nick and my aunt. Nick is an inspiration, and spending time with him really got me thinking about this blog post. We shared quite a few smiles together over the past few days, and I shared with him one of my favorite quotes.

"Smile, and the world smiles with you."

Please keep Nick, the Kroeger family, and my aunt in your thoughts and prayers. All of us will continue to stay strong and keep smiling. You do the same!

Why I Donate Blood and Why You Should Too

At 1:15pm on Monday, May 11th, 2015 I was sitting in an American Red Cross Blood Donation Center in Omaha, NE squeezing that little stress ball pumping some of my O positive blood into a bag. This was 9 weeks after my last donation that took place at the Life Serve Blood Center in Sioux City, IA. My trip in 9 weeks ago put me over 2 gallons donated in my lifetime.

Being a blood donor is one of the easiest ways to give back. If you know me well enough, you are aware that I was an avid volunteer and volunteer coordinator while at Morningside College. One of my life missions is to make as many smiles possible as I can and help make life worthwhile. The whole process of giving blood takes less than an hour. Do you know what giving up one hour of your time every two months can mean to people?

It can mean that someone who needed a blood transfusion is able to make it to one more Husker Volleyball game that they so much enjoy. I had my first experience at  Husker Volleyball game a few weeks back. I tagged along for my cousin Rebecca's birthday. It was a fun time.

It can mean adding one more week out of the hospital giving you time to go for another first boat ride of the year on the lake with family and friends.

Giving blood can mean helping someone who is in the hospital needing some strength. A patient in the hospital is always related or connected to someone somewhere. I just happen to be spending a lot of time in the hospital with a relative of mine who has received several units of blood while sitting in the hospital. I look back at all the times I have given up that time to donate that have helped give other families strength. My Aunt Kristin is a fighter, but she's needed some of that help along the way. Unfortunately, it isn't easy enough to just sit here and pump out some of my blood directly to her.

The Blood Bank is a busy place, and I don't even want to guess how many people are touched by its aid each year. I do know that there is constantly a shortage of donors. 

If you've never done it, give it a try! If you've had a bad experience, give it another chance. I had one day as a college student where nearly an entire side of my arm bruised up from not being poked well, but I've come back. Oopsies happen, but in the end one normal donation sit is painless and does wonders for someone else.

It was actually cool to see a blood donation from the other side. I thought to myself that is what all my donations look like once they make it the hospital.

Donating blood can mean giving someone years to laugh more. I had one big laugh one morning that I had to share with a few friends. I woke up one morning in my hotel room of the hospital to this lovely completely assymetric mess of a hairdo. It made me giggle.

Giving blood can mean more time for a couple to walk down the street and enjoy a beautiful day and their surroundings.

Giving blood can mean giving someone the chance to go dance in the rain again. We sure have had some Seattle (or from my memory - American Samoa) like days with all the precipitation lately. I was walking back from church with my uncle Sunday when we got caught in the rain. That made me think of some Samoa memories and smile. 

I could name many more reasons why I donate blood and why you should, too. Think about it. Better yet, go do it! 

Have a lovely week, all!