One Step At A Time...

I didn’t know him very long, but he changed my life.  He changed me as a person.  He broke my heart and healed it all at once.  He lit a fire in my soul to change the world that I didn’t even know existed. 

www.rockstarronan.com
The Ronan Thompson Foundation

He died.

They make me want to change the world.  To break down doors, to bust down barriers, to not take no for an answer.  I want to make them proud of me.  I want them to grow old with their own beautiful families.  

I do not want them to die before me.

Children’s cancer research is grossly underfunded and it’s time for it to stop.  Our babies deserve a voice, they deserve us to never stop fighting for them.  They need advocates, and it’s our responsibility as an older generation to never give up on them and FIGHT, because they cannot do these things on their own.  We brought them into this world, we must never give up on them.  We owe this to them.

I don’t need an urn full of ashes to make me want to fight.  Imagining it...fuck...that is gut-wrenching enough for me to want to DO SOMETHING.

I found this website

Who We Are

The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is the world’s largest, cooperative children’s cancer research entity. It brings together treatment centers, physicians, laboratory scientists, nurses, psychologists and others working to beat cancer in children, adolescents and young adults. Through collaborative research, the Children’s Oncology Group has improved rates for children’s cancer at a pace much faster than any one individual or single institution could accomplish alone. The Children’s Oncology Group research has turned children’s cancer from a virtually incurable disease 40 years ago to one with an overall cure rate of 78 percent today.
Despite major advancements in recent years, much work remains to find treatments and cures for children’s cancer. Cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease in children and two-thirds of patients have life-altering and life-threatening side effects from the currently available treatments. Children’s Oncology Group research efforts are focused on many types of cancer including those that are hardest to treat, as well as reducing complications that result from treatment.
The Children’s Oncology Group is chaired by Peter Adamson, MD. Dr. Adamson is Chief of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Director of the Office of Clinical and Translational Research at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Susan Blaney, MD is vice chair of the Children’s Oncology Group. Dr. Blaney is Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Deputy Director of Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers.

What We Do

Children’s Oncology Group:

• designs and conducts about 100 clinical trials annually to find the best treatments for children and adolescents with cancer;
• conducts laboratory research that will translate into more effective treatments with reduced side effects;
• looks for the causes of childhood cancer with the goal of one day preventing cancer;
• conducts research to improve quality of life and survivorship; and
• seeks international partnerships, when necessary, to fulfill its mission.

Our History
Children’s Oncology Group was formed in 2000 when four pediatric cancer clinical trials groups joined forces. Comprised of 210 treatment centers in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, COG includes more than 6,500 individual members. The COG receives funding from the national non-profit foundation, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer which receives grants from the National Cancer Institute and raises funds through philanthropic donations from individuals, special events, corporations and private foundations.
Children’s Oncology Group hospitals treat 90 percent of children with cancer in the United States, providing the unmatched combination of global expertise and local care. This means that every child and care team has complete access to the latest research and world-class treatments at hospitals within close to home.

Why is Collaborative Research Important?

While nearly 13,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year, there are many different kinds of children’s cancer. When divided into the specific cancer types, the number of children with each is relatively small. In research, large numbers of patients are critical to ensuring that study results are meaningful. By enrolling patients from many hospitals in the same trial, the results become statistically significant. This approach is called collaborative research and is how the Children’s Oncology Group functions.

Get Involved!  

On the curesearch.org site (click here) you can join (free) the advocate group.  Once you fill in your info, it gives you the contact info for your local congressman.  You can set aside time each week to contact your congressman.  They work for us!  It’s time WE tell THEM what we WANT.

I’m on a personal quest, although my journey is for millions.  Help me.  

DO SOMETHING with me.

With all this being said, I’m walking in the CureSearch Walk for Children’s Cancer in February of 2012 in Phoenix.  Right now, I’m a one-man team.  If you’re local, I’d love for you to join my team:  One Step At A Time.  My team goal is $5000.  If I can raise this $5000, it goes directly to Children’s Cancer Research…all of it.  Not just 3%, not just 50%...it all goes to the kids.  I know times are tough, but if you could just give up one treat for yourself (a coffee, a meal, a mani/pedi, etc. and donate it to this great cause, I would be forever grateful.  Together we can make a difference.   One Step At A Time.

Go here to donate: 
http://www.curesearchwalk.org/phoenix/dosomething

In the words of Ben Lee...

What’s in your heart
What’s in your head
It’s one or the other these days
The quick or the dead

Sometimes we gotta fight
So don’t you complain
Cuz I never promised this would be easy babe

You and me gonna rise up
And they will be surprised yup

Everything’s weird
Soon they’ll be gone
Cuz our whispered words
Are louder than bombs

So don’t you lose faith
And say it’s no fun
Cuz we’ve come too far to stop
Before we’re done

You and me gonna rise up
And they will be surprised yup

Sometimes we get lost
But soon we’ll be found
This is far too important
To turn back now

You and me gonna rise up
And they will be surprised yup

♥ ♥ ♥

Olivia

Thinfully Inspired

This is Melissa.  

You may remember her from here.


Melissa lost a person (120+ pounds) on her own.  No fads, no gimmicks, just A LOT of hard work.


I'm totally jealous.  Not in a bad way!  I still haven't had my "a ha" moment...I'm eating coffee ice cream right now as we speak.  But I know once I do, I'll have Melissa there cheering me on.


Melissa started a blog earlier in the month called Thinfully Inspired.  Click here to bookmark it.  Melissa is funny, encouraging without being cocky, inspiring and very down-to-earth.  Her blog is a place of reflection, honesty, encouragement and all around helpfulness when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off.  She'll show you the little tips and tricks (actually indulging in M&M's along the way) that she stuck to while on her own weight loss journey.


Again, I want to stress (because I'm so proud of her) that she lost all this weight on her own...no fad diets, no pills, no surgery, nothing.  She even posts about the day she rocked a bikini after being a size 24!


Oh, and she's a smart-ass and throws the occasional F Bomb in for good measure.


Ah, a girl after my own heart!


♥ ♥ ♥
Olivia

Samara

I ♥ the Internet.  I ♥ blogging.

Internet + Blogging = Samara

I've known Samara for a few years now.  We've chatted through our blogs, email and Facebook for a very long time.  At one point, I'm quite sure besides my mom, that Sam was the ONLY person reading this blog.


I only met Sam face-to-face a few weeks ago.  What a surreal experience...to feel like you know someone, but you've never physically met?  Well, it was fabulous.  We had a little photo shoot, and below is the beauty of Samara.


She helped me see that photography truly is a passion of mine.   One that I'm going to pursue again (see my photography tab at the top of the blog), the way I like, on my own terms, no looking back or second guessing.


Thank you Samara for everything ♥

♥ ♥ ♥
Olivia

Full Cup

“Death is a part of life. Rejoice for those around you…”
~Yoda

Ronan’s memorial was yesterday.  I was dreading it.  I’ve only been to a few funerals in my life and they were somber and dreadful.  Mostly I was terrified going because Ronan is just a babe, and as a mother, I still can’t wrap my head around any parent losing a child. 

 However, it was one of the most beautiful nights I have ever been a part of. This was a celebration of Ronan’s life. We were to remember his fiery independent spirit, and not dwell on the fact that he is no longer here. It was amazing. Nothing short of breathtaking. To see everyone wearing all shades of white, cream, and splashes of pale purple, was gorgeous. The air was thick with love, and when we released balloons in the air, you couldn’t help but feel a quiet peacefulness that no one has felt in a long time. Through out the night I’d feel little gusts of wind whipping around, and I couldn’t help but think it was Ronan. It made me smile. I am forever grateful and changed by Ronan and the journey of the Thompson Family. I’ve been searching for a cause to fight for, and now I have one. Children’s cancer is so grossly underfunded and I’m determined to help change that.

I know in my previous post I was up in arms about Facebook and all the negative feelings I was feeling, but after last night, I am truly thankful for it. After the service, about 10 of us from our hometown of Kelso/Longview, WA went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant under sparkly lights on the outdoor patio with a gentle desert breeze, shared a great meal, a few glasses of sangria, many memories, and a loving toast to Ronan. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to end this part of the journey, than with a group I’ve know since childhood. And for that, I have to give all the thanks to Facebook.

I sat back and watched us all interact with each other for a moment. I couldn’t help but feel happily overwhelmed by watching us…taking nibbles off each other plates, sharing a look, squeezing a hand. There is a level of comfort and familiarity among people you grew up with regardless of how much time has passed. Each and every time I experience this; it overwhelms me, and makes me thankful of where I came from.

Today, my mood is light and I feel love. I feel like after going through this, that I have truly realized what matters in life and what doesn’t. I know I won’t take things for granted anymore. I know to be happy and thankful for what I have and where I’m at in life. I know that it is foolish and a waste of time to dwell on what I don’t have. I have been blessed to find true love, to be a mother to two beautiful children, to have an incredibly supportive family, and to be friends with some amazing people. Seriously, what more could one ask for?

My cup is full and my heart is happy.


♥ ♥ ♥
Olivia

Lots Of Shit

So, this is my 100th post. Yay. Whatever.


My friend's son died of cancer yesterday.


I'm thinking about deleting Facebook.


Random stuff, but it's all intertwined. Not sure if I'll clearly explain what I'm feeling, but here it goes.


I can't sleep. Previously in my life, when I'm stressed, sad or frustrated, my body just goes into sleep mode. I'm not one to sit and worry myself out of sleep. Quite the opposite. So, now something has changed...I've been awake since 2:45, and I don't think sleep is trying to find me.


I've posted about the little Rockstar Ronan I know, and his courageous fight with Neuroblastoma since last August when he was first diagnosed. Little Ronan Sean passed away peacefully yesterday morning in his mama's arms. I still find it surreal, and I hurt selfishly on a level I didn't even know existed. I keep asking myself, "How can I hurt so badly for a child that isn't even mine?" At work yesterday I was a complete mess. Everyone was asking what was wrong, and when I told them, they cried with me. Ronan has touched that many people. For that I will be forever grateful, but I always believed he would make it. I never let myself believe that death would be the final outcome. Maybe I was naive, or maybe I just believed that if I had enough faith, thought only positive thoughts, that that would somehow will the outcome I had wanted. I hurt for my friend.


This has all lead me to deleting my Facebook page. I haven't done it yet, but I posted last night that I was and left my email for those people who wanted to keep in contact. Ever since then I've been wrestling with that. Because Facebook has brought a lot of people back into my life who I totally enjoy. But it's brought a ton of sadness as well. And I'm not the type of person that can separate myself from it. I feel for people on a level that sometimes I wish I didn't. Maya's son got cancer and died. Before Facebook, Maya and I hadn't talked since I graduated. Amy's husband died suddenly and left her and 3 children behind. He was 36. I hadn't talked to Amy since graduation. Dave's sister was murdered by her ex-husband. I haven't talked to Dave since he graduated. Do you see what I'm getting at? These people's lives through Facebook have directly and indirectly affected mine in such ways I wish selfishly weren't possible. Only because I feel like I'm in a constant state or sorrow, sadness, anger, etc. because of the posts on Facebook. I don't think about these people as adults...I transport myself back to a time when we were kids and how carefree we were, and how we all had these hopes and dreams, and the above experiences would never have been a part of that. I know life is hard, and shit happens, but I'm a super emotional twit, and sometimes I think I just feel too much, and it sends me on a emotional roller coaster that effects everyone around me, and that isn't fair either. Sometimes I feel like I can't post funny stuff to Facebook because it really isn't important when people are dying. So my rash decision is to delete Facebook. As I write this, I don't think I will delete it, but rather suspend it for a while...clean out my "friends" list...get my priorities straight.


I've missed this blog of mine, but lately haven't felt like what I have to say really matters. But, this is my little space that I truly enjoy and I'm going to keep it that way.


Please keep The Thompson Family in your thoughts and prayers.


Be happy.


♥
Olivia

Church

You probably think I don't go to church or believe in God because I say fuck a lot, huh? 

I do go.  Try to every Sunday.  It's been off and on...mostly off for years, until lately.  We found a church I truly adore, and it fits for our family.  So, I try to go every Sunday.  It brings me peace and renews my faith.

Faith.  That is tricky concept for some.  I get it, many many times my faith has been shook, but at the end of the day, it's there.  I can't explain it. The logical thinking part of me could accept an agnostic or atheist point-of-view given the mere fact I'm believing in something I can't see.  Then just as easily as I can "get that"...it leaves my brain.  And I believe with all my heart in God and His power.  My husband calls that Faith. 

Bad things happen to good people all the time.  And we wonder, "Why would God let that happen?"  I don't know.  I don't have those kind of answers.  But I do have Faith, and I know His plan is not my own, and I do accept that.  Wholeheartedly.  Every single time in my life, when something bad has happened and I have questioned why God would do that to me, or someone I love, it is always revealed to me in His time.  It doesn't mean that it hurts any less, but it is part of my story nonetheless.  It teaches me a valuable lesson, it deepens my Faith, deepens my love.  Deepens me.

The message at Sunday's mass was to live perfectly as God is perfect.  Of course, we can't live perfectly...we are human...falable.  But, the point is to try to live perfectly.  Put others first, live compassionately, let anger and jealousy go, choose to do the right thing in all situations, even when you want to be spiteful, hurtful, or want to seek revenge.  It's not easy to do.  But, just think about how much better your life could be.  How awesome our world could be if we all tryed to live this way.

Whether or not you believe in God is up to you, but trying to live perfectly is a lesson we could all learn regardless of our individual beliefs.

And if there is any question, me and my blog serve the Lord.  Yes, God is aware of my cussing problem, and I am quite certain He still loves me anyway. 

♥
Olivia

Junior Mint Turns 2!

Seriously...my little Jr. Mint is two?  Already? 

Wasn't this just happening?

I still remember this moment like it happened an hour ago...

I still can remember what he smelled like...

And, I can still get a lump in my throat when I look at this...realizing that I could love another human being so purely and so unconditionally from the very start.

And now I get looks like this...every day...all day long...

• He is now 36 inches, yes he is 3 feet tall at 2 years old.
• He is 32 pounds
• If I make him mad, or try to be the boss (God forbid!), he tells me "Go.  Mama.  Go."  I don't know whether to get mad or eat him up and giggle.
• He loves his "Sissy" more than anything and wants to have whatever she has or do whatever she does.
• He thinks he's 5 already.
• He's pretty much the boss of all the grandkids on my husband's side because the rest baby him like crazy.
• He knows his color and shapes and all his body parts.
• He melts my heart and pushes every button on a daily basis.

This past weekend, we had his 2nd Birthday Circus at the local park by our house.  I invited all his baby school friends and all of our family.  We had about 40 people show up.  It was super fun.  The following pictures are totally not my normal stuff...all done with a point & shoot, no composition, no editing...just taken for posterity.

So, I did all the decorations myself, and either printed them off the computer, or bought them from The Dollar Tree.  I also bought all the games and prizes from The Dollar Tree of the dollar bins from Target, Michael's & Jo-Ann's.

We had a fishing game, a ball toss game, facepainting, gunny sack races, and a pinata.  The big item was a petting zoo.  Carter's Farm was amazing.  I did my research and called around, and they were the ONLY professionals that I spoke with, didn't balk at my request for liability insurance (also a requirement of the park), and were just awesome.  They came and set up a mobile fence, and had a hand sanitizing station, and had mules, goats, piglets, chickens, ducks, and bunnies.  The kids had a blast.  I only paid for an hour, and with the kids there that was just enough. 

The kids played games, in turn they got tickets just for playing and then they redeemed them at the prize table.  We had hot dogs, chips, cotton candy, cheese popcorn, carmel corn, cupcakes, tons of super sugary candy, juices, water, and good old fashioned Shasta pop in all the great flavors.  I wanted so badly to rent a popcorn and cotton candy machine to really bring home the circus vibe, but just couldn't justify it in addition to the petting zoo.  Well, I just about died when shopping at Smart & Final for all my stuff when I spied a stand with individual bags of popcorn and COTTON CANDY!!  I was so excited.  So, I bought a few varieties and put them in a tub on the Goodies table.  Everyone loved everything, so I think it was a success.

The Popcorn Bags were the kiddies loot bags...to start them off they had little bottles of bubbles, I made them mustaches on stick, stickers, and candy necklaces.  The bags were from The Dollar Tree and they came 30 to a bag.  Score.

Made the bunting from scrapbook paper, made the centerpieces, tissue paper puffs...

Tissue paper puffs...directions from Martha Stewart.  Hung with red and white baker's twine*.  Our little clown pinata hanging up in the tree.



Popcorn containers (3/$1), tissue paper, ribbons (3/$1), and giant suckers all from The Dollar Tree.  Wooden lion from Jo-Ann's.  I alternated between the lion, a giraffe, and an elephant.  I also made circus themed suckers from candy melts.  Got the melts & mold at ABC Cake

The Prize Table! 



Downloaded several circus themed fonts from dafont and made all the signs.  Tons of candy, mustaches on a stick, cupcakes, red bin full of cheese corn, carmel corn and cotton candy.  Gumball dispensers filled with red hots, lemonheads, and gumballs.



Daddy & Jr. Mint petting the mule?  Donkey?  Not sure.

Not so sure about Olivia the Pig.



Peeps hold the cutest bunny ever.  Not sure she ever stopped holding it long enough for other kids to enjoy.  Guess who wants a bunny now?



All the kidlets enjoying the zoo.

 I had so much fun planning this party, and seeing what I could do on a budget.  It was a lot of work, but so worth it. 


* Baker's Twine.  I'm about to blow the whistle on all those people selling baker's twine on Etsy and other places.  They are raping people with their prices.  $12.99 and up for 100 yards?  This is some shit!  I got my red and white baker's twine from a place called We Sell Coffee for $8.95.  And you wanna know how many damn yards I got?  3400.  Yes, that is THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED yards.  Now, I will be the first to admit, this place does not have the pastel colors, but they do have quite a selection.  Shipping does start at around $8 as well, but it's come from Jersey and it only takes 4 days.  I don't know about you, but I'd like to get as much product for my dollar as possible. 

So, now that this party is over, I'm full speed ahead with Chaps Buffalino.  I finally feel like the Holiday rush is over.  We went from New Years, straight to my hubby's birthday on the 9th, then Jr. Mint's on the 19th.  It's been complete chaos and I'm always rushing.  I'm looking forward to slowing down a bit and focuing on one thing.


Ciao for now...


♥
Olivia

Human Spirit

Well the Relay For Life event ended this morning and I'm pretty sure I'm a different person for it.  In more ways than I expected. 


My team members were amazing, and I am so thankful they were on the field with me:

Rockstar Ronan Headquarters

Greg - my husband.  He really is my rock.  He knows when to step up and be vocal and when to remain my silent, but ever present support that I continually look for when I'm happy, nervous or scared.  He kept the kids, especially the baby occupied while I set up and prepared for my speech.  Even when the baby puked and my first instinct was to grab the baby and get him cleaned up, his response was, "Stop.  You need to be here all night, and you can't be smelling like puke.  Let me get him cleaned up."  He is such and awesome husband and father. 


Penelope - my little helper.  She wasn't fully aware exactly what she was doing there other than we were helping Ronan and to play to with Ashley of course!  I also wanted her to see me give my speech and to help her understand that even when you're nervous, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Rachel & Chris - my parents.  They have been consumed with Maya and The Thompson family since Ronan's diagnosis.  They provided all the food and drinks for our team and my mom was our campsite "Mom" as we walked the track keeping the babies and our campsite safe.  I know my giving spirit comes directly from them. 


Jennifer & Ashley- long lost friends that will never be lost again.  Jennifer and I have known each other, along with Maya, since we were in the 7th grade.  After school we went our separate ways and were only recently connected by Facebook within the last year.  I now know why God has brought us back together.  Jennifer and I picked up right where we left off.  It's like 15 years never passed.  She is truly such a blessing in my life.  She is such an amazing mom to Ashley and she was so amazing to Penelope.  Penelope is officially in love with Jennifer.  I think the most amazing part of this union was watching Penelope and Ashley become instant friends.  There was something so incredibly awesome about watching them play.  I think it's because Jen and I knew each other as children and now we get to watch our children become friends.  Loved it! <3  I loved walking the track with her and having our conversation about girl stuff and what we hoped to help accomplish with The Ronan Thompson Foundation over the years. 

Jacob Beard - another long lost friend from school.  I've also known Jacob since I was 12.  There is this inherent trust issue when you see a person you grew up with but haven't seen in a long time.  Reconnecting with Jacob was awesome and I can't wait to put together our Washington Refugee Happy Hours in the future and keep this guy in my loop! 

David Honga - yes another lost friend from school.  David and I didn't really know each other to well, but his sister was in my grade.  David is one of the most genuinely nice and caring people I've met in a long time.  He graciously baked an enormous amount of his mother's famous and delicious sweet bread for us to sell at the relay.  He is in the process of growing his hair out for Locks of Love; something that he does regularly for this charity.  When we were talking he told me how his father recently passed away, and that his Dad was the most caring and giving person he had ever met and that by doing charitable work that is the only way he can make sure his father's spirit lives on.

The Roller Family - Jennifer, Billy & Justin.  I worked with Jennifer for a few years and became instant friends.  She recently lost her mom to cancer and felt compelled to not only support that cause but Ronan's as well.  It was such a great night and I was glad to be by her side when she found her mom's luminaria. 

All day long I would get that rush of adrenaline every time I thought about giving my speech.  Throughout my life I've gone through bouts of stuttering and so I was petrified that I would wind up stuttering because it's usually brought on during times of high stress or extreme nerves.  I prayed to God all day long for Him to just give me the strength to get through it.  I wanted to find that strength for Maya and for Ronan.  I wanted everyone there to know his story, remember it, and pass it along.  Childhood cancer does not get nearly enough attention and if I can have a tiny part in changing that, then all I wanted was the strength to get up on that stage and speak...with clarity...with confidence...with my heart.  I won't lie.  I was sweating BULLETS before they introduced me and I made my entire team stand up there with me.  Even Penelope and Ashley were up there holding huge pictures of Ronan.  But, I have to say, the moment I walked up there, I let it go.  "It" being my fear, my lack of self-confidence, my own issues that plague a lot of what I do, and I freakin rocked that speech.  I'm not being conceited...I promise...but I truly believe God gave me the strength to rock that speech.  It was awesome and when I was done, I knew that I could truly accomplish anything if I just trust in God and let it go...whatever "it" may be at the time.

At times the relay was tough...feet hurt, butt hurt, luminaria ceremony and silent lap was tough, tired, but it was so worth it.  I'm glad we did it and I can't wait to pour my heart and soul into the foundation. 

I think the best parts of the night were strangers coming up to me and telling me they have been following the blog!  How awesome is that! 

Again THANK YOU to everyone for all of your help, support and donations!  This could not have been accomplished without all of you.

All my love to RonanBaby and Mamamaya. 

<3

Live Like We're Dying...

I've learned a huge lesson in the last 48 hours.  

Count your blessings.

Be thankful what you have...and for what you don't have.

My dear friend's life has literally been turned upside in the last 48 hours.  Her seemingly healthy 3 year-old son went to the doctors because of an eye infection on Tuesday. 

Today he has Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.  If you saw him you wouldn't even know he was sick.  He's still a rambunctious 3 year-old who couldn't understand why he couldn't eat strawberries for breakfast this morning...who had to have all his "helmets" (Star Wars Figures) in his bed with him. 

To look at him, you wouldn't know he has cancer growing everywhere...behind his left eye, in his abdomen, his lymph nodes, his bone marrow. 

Life can change in literally an instant...a second...a fraction of a second.

I hate for my friend to be going through this.  I'm ashamed to admit that her suffering is humbling me enough to change, to be more positive, to be a better example, to live better.  I feel ashamed I even have to learn this lesson...especially at a time like this.

And in typical fashion, I received a sign today as I was driving to the hospital, and Kris Allen's song Live Like We're Dying came on the radio.   In that moment, I vowed to love better, be thankful, and be grateful for everything that I have, and to live life to the fullest regardless of any situation, and be there for people that matter to you, no matter what.

Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up
We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough

How come we don’t say I love you enough

Till it’s to late, it’s not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won’t come

We could make a feast from these crumbs

And we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun

So if your life flashed before you

What would you wish you would’ve done

Yeah… gotta start

Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here

This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’

Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

Turn it all around or throw it all away

We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em

While we got the chance to say

Gotta live like we’re dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies

Who would you call with your last goodbyes

Should be so careful who we live out our lives

So when we long for absolution

There’ll no one on the line

Yeah… gotta start

Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here

This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it

Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’

Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got

86 400 seconds in a day to

Turn it all around or throw it all away

To my dear friend...I'm here for you no matter what. No matter how or when.  You are an inspiration to me on how to shine like a beacon of hope and strength during the darkest hour.  I know it's been a long time that we've been out of contact, but I know God brought the 3 of us back together for this very reason.  Now let's stop with the sappy stuff and kick the fucking shit out of cancer! xoxo

For those of you who would like to follow this story, please vist http://www.rockstarronan.com/