"A Million Reasons to Believe"

Okay, so it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but let's be honest: we've all got Christmas on the brain. Admit it! It's hard to resist the holiday commercials and cheerful music blaring from the speakers of our local shopping malls. We are all victims of the Christmas spirit, and I couldn't be happier about it.
The holidays are always times of giving and joy, but sometimes it can be easy to forget that there are those who don't have the good fortune of being able to give to those they love the most. Macy's is trying to change that this year.
Macy's department store has always been a marketing powerhouse. From their ever-symbolic red star to the beloved Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the department store is always visible to the public eye. That's why it came to a surprise to me that one of their coolest campaigns was kind of left in the corners of their website to find.
As the first department store to introduce the in-store Santa, it doesn't come as a surprise that Macy's still continue to insist that Santa lives on. When a young girl named Virginia asked in a letter to the New York times is Santa was real, the editor responded by saying that good old St. Nick exists "as surely as beauty and joy exist". This strong belief is crucial to the Macy's campaign and they make it clear on their website; the "Yes Virginia" piece on the "Believe" campaign website is proof of that.
Okay so moving on to the actual campaign...I know, I've kind of beat around the bush and for that, I apologize. This holiday season, Macy's is encouraging consumers to write letters to Santa in order to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To participate in the Macy's "Million Reasons to Believe" campaign, individuals can download letter template on Macy's website or submit a letter online...it's that simple. It only takes one stamped letter dropped off at a local Macy's department store for the organization to donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Easy, right? The campaign is great because it appeals to people of all ages; children, parents, and those in-between still seeing light in the belief that jolly old Saint Nicholas still exists to make life better for everyone.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions in hopes of improving the quality of life for them and their families. The Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted almost 200,000 wishes since their start in 1980.
For more information concerning the Macy's Believe program, visit http://social.macys.com/believe2010/#/make-a-wish.
Help Macy's grant a wish of someone who really needs it this holiday season...and discover the real magic of Christmas.

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Being an icon in a small farming, community isn't easy. But Scott Bailey made it look effortless...he was naturally charismatic, good-looking, and most importantly, respectable. It is this respect that I look back on in awe over three years after he has passed.

Mr. Bailey could command the attention of a classroom as well as a football field. When I first met him my sophomore year in room 208 of Crestview High School, I was 16 years old and I didn't have a clue what the next two years of my life would bring. I like to think of myself as a mature high-school student, although looking back now I wasn't anywhere near mature (hell, I'm still not). My parents had always, always! taught me to respect others, especially those responsible for teaching me. But I had never felt the kind of respect for a teacher that I felt for Mr. Bailey; the time I spent in his classroom was precious and sacred to me. I didn't know it then, but I know it now: no teacher would ever teach me as much as he did. Sure, he opened my eyes to the rich history of our country, the unspeakable (and often unknown) horrors of American wars and the complexity of politics...but above all I learned about respect, self-preservation and strength from the man many knew simply as "Coach."

The road to learning these from Mr. Bailey was a rough one, beginning in the spring of my junior year when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The moment you learn that one of the strongest people you know is beginning to weaken is a scary one, and I struggled to understand the seriousness of the situation that lay ahead. Our school came together, hoping and praying with every second that God would bring us through...that God would return Mr. Bailey to our halls and sidelines-HEALTHY. We played ball, ran track and went to prom but not once did we stop praying. We grew up together while he fought the disease that would eventually take his life...a disease that would change all of ours forever.

When I got the phone call on July 15, 2008 I could not believe that the fight was finally finished for Mr. Bailey. But the one thing that was far from over is his legacy; I will forever be grateful of everything he taught me and I thank God every day for not only bringing me to a struggle but pulling me up out of it a stronger and more faithful person.

Hold On

Recently, my life has taken a complete 180-degree turn. Three weeks ago, I was on the brink of what I thought was going to be the best summer of my life. I had a great relationship with a guy I loved, an awesome summer job, and a house lined up for the fall. In 6 days, two of those three parts of my life fell apart: I truly thought I was facing a summer alone. (And if anyone knows me, being alone is one of my absolute worst fears.) After two days spent at home, not moving from a couch surrounded by Kleenex, I really thought that my life would never be the same. My brain never stopped running, even when I was sleeping; nothing was good enough to distract me from the terrible week that I had just gone through.
This past week though, I have started realizing what my life was really all about. My job with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society makes me incredibly proud. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to work for an amazing organization with a cause that I truly believe in. The second thing I realized was how incredibly lucky I am to have a family that surrounds me when I need them the most. I spent days at the lake with my grandparents, driving around listening to their stories, laughing, and singing along to the radio with the windows down. I hadn't done that in weeks. And, even though I have struggled with finding true friends, I now know that I have people I can really trust and be honest with...people that will force to me to pick myself up even when I don't want to.
These past three weeks of my life have shown me that when things don't go as planned or one of your worst nightmares comes true, what's most important in the healing process is learning to focus on every positive aspect you have. Even though everything around you might be falling down, pick yourself up...don't pull yourself even deeper into the self-pitying, nose-blowing, and overall depressing rut that is ohhhhh! so tempting to fall into during hard times. The only person that can raise you up is yourself. When things go wrong, focus on yourself-bake a cake, take your dog for a walk, read a great book in the sun, watch a funny movie...do what YOU need. Love yourself, and know that there is a silver lining in every single black cloud that tries to cast a shadow over your life.

Sandra Bullock adopts!

Today People Magazine released a teaser about their breaking news story on Sandra Bullock and her new baby. Bullock has adopted a 3 1/2 month old baby boy born in New Orleans. Louis is the joyful secret his new mother managed to keep from the press for (here's the kicker)...over two months! Now that she has filed for divorce, Sandra is finalizing the adoption as a single parent. Isn't is awesome to see the power of adoption actually work in our country? It always baffles me how people don't even give the process a second thought because it "takes too long" or "isn't your real child"...what could be better than taking a child out of an unhealthy environment and giving them everything they could ever imagine needing in life? I hope Sandra's actions inspire those struggling with the decision to adopt to go down the unbeaten path and change a life. After all, don't they say that changing lives is how we change the world?

Struggling with finals week? Get through it!

Alright, so for a lot of college students across the country, it's finals week. This last week of college for the year is bittersweet for most of us; the arrival of summer brings loads and loads of homework, studying, and unwanted textbook reading. The hardest part of it is looking forward from the stacks of books and papers and seeing that summer is right around the corner. To help ease the pain of finals, here's a few tips I'm trying to take myself!

-Make sure you don't completely cut the time for yourself: Even though most of your day may be consumed by classes, reviews, study groups and writing, don't forget that you still need to set aside some "you-time". Because this may be a little harder to do during these last couple weeks of school, there are some little things you can do to give yourself a little down-time. Paint your nails, watch your favorite show online (you probably missed it because you were studying), extend your shower time, go to a 45-minute yoga class, turn off your computer, phone, and tv and just read a book YOU want to read.

-Stay in touch with your galpals: This may be the last week you get to see some of your friends before they move back home for the summer! So don't let finals get in the way of your social interaction. Suggest a study group with your closest friends and take a quick break to get ice cream or coffee. You can also include your pals in some of your "me-time"...go get a quick mani-pedi, watch "The Hills" or "Glee" together...you don't have to spend the whole day together to get your doses of friendship in!

-Take the time to eat well and workout: Make sure you don't cut out these two crucial aspects of your life. If you have always worked out, make sure that you continue your workout schedule throughout finals week. Studies show that regular exercise and a good meal help to increase alertness, stamina, and most of all...energy. Try to avoid the crapola food in the vending machines...they won't do anything for you. Instead a quick Lean Cuisine or an easy chicken dinner will be a good break from studying and also a good source of energy for that crazy college body of yours. So skip the RedBull and head to the gym for a quick workout...you'll thank yourself in the end.

yo yo yoga!

Alright, I'm gonna be honest...I've never thought I'd be a huge fan of yoga. I've always been the "sweat and tears" kinda girl when it comes to workout; a hard run, tons of abs, and maybe i'll even throw a little bit (emphasis on "little") bit of weight around. But last week when I randomly decided to give the yoga fad a shot, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience.
Starting out, I had a few fears that were rattling around in my head. For one, I am NOT flexible at all. I can barely get past my knees when I lean over...and that's on a good day. Second, I am not a person that is easily relaxed. I'm in no way saying that I'm uptight, I just find it very difficult to sit still and stay quiet for an extended period of time. And by extended period of time, I mean over five minutes. Really, it's pathetic...I'm like a five year old with an IV of Mountain Dew permanently stuck in my arm. Alright, back to the point: pushing my uneasiness aside, I decided to give yoga a shot because I've been stressed out of my mind with school lately.
When I arrived at the session, I was automatically feeling out of place: everyone around me looked serene, ultra-relaxed, and flexible. I'm pretty sure at one point, the woman next to me put her foot behind her head...scary. I also had shown up without the crucial yoga materials: a flowery mat, trendy looking water bottles, and tight fitting black pants with a sporty little tank top. Oops. Fail. Feeling awkward and nervous, I sat down on an oversized mat-ball mat that took me back to my grade school days when I got in trouble for being too competitive playing kickball. The session began and I quickly found that this would be a challenge. How was I supposed to relax when I couldn't even complete any of the poses and stretches that everyone around me was molding themselves into with ease? But slowly but surely, I felt my muscles warming up and becoming more loose. Once I got the "yoga breathing" down, I could feel the relaxation start to take over. At the end of the 45 minute session, I felt like no time went by. The crummy mood that had followed me throughout the morning was gone, and I was ready to take on the rest of the day. I've continued my yoga sessions, but haven't abandoned my crazy workouts...they can coexist as far as I'm concerned!

Say what you need to say

Ever have one of those days when anything and everything imaginable hurts? Your head pounds, your eyes sting, and your stomach won't stop tying itself in knots? Everyone has. Those are the days when nothing will go your way, and the worst part is youou feel like you can't turn to anyone to make it better. Something that I constantly struggle with is telling the people in my life what I need from them. I feel selfish voicing my concerns and I never want anyone to think that I am trying to get more out of them than what they are giving. Balance in a relationship is key to its survival but let's face it, sometimes that just doesn't happen. And when it does, everything is untouchable and perfect. But when it isn't (which is most of the time), we struggle with keep everything in scale with the people that matter most to us. Think of a relationship of yours that is failed and really try to understand why it didn't work out. Was there an obvious issue that came between you? Did you not feel loved or appreciated? Or were you just not compatible with each other? I think you'll find that when you try to answer these questions, there will NEVER be a simple answer. Personally, I don't think some relationships work because keeping a relationship alive (whether it be with a friend, a family member, or a significant other) takes TONS of work. We can't keep looking to movies like "You've Got Mail" or "The Notebook" for advice...because we all know the truth is staring us in the face: it just isn't that easy, people.
We're all busy and in this day and age, survival is key...for ourselves. We live in a selfish and conceited world. When it comes to maintaining relationships with the people that surround us, we all fall short of the minimum requirements needed to keep their hearts alive and pumping. I know how cliche this all sounds, but sometimes we just need a real-life wakeup in order to understand all of this. I got that when 3 of the people I thought I could trust the most turned their backs on me and walked away. My friends made selfish decisions...and I was the one who was left to deal with the aftermath. Losing a friend hurts almost as much as losing a boyfriend, or a family member. I struggled to find a place where I felt I fit in after the dust cleared, but I couldn't find it anywhere. And that feeling-the knotted stomach, constant headache, and anxious feeling began to take over. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop blaming myself for THEIR actions...when in reality, I had nothing to do with it. You can blame whoever you want, but in the end it was their job to take responsibility for their own actions, not me. After realizing this, the cloud of confusion and hurt lifted and I realized I had done nothing wrong...I gave them everything I could have as a friend and they chose to disregard that and literally walk away from me as if I had never existed.
So be honest with yourself for once, are you putting enough work in for the people that mean the most to you? Even though what happened to me could happen to anyone, don't stop working hard for those that you love. In the end, the ones that love you back will return the favor.