Beauty in it all

Have you ever met someone that truly motivates you in life?

This past March I met a guy who motivated me to figure out what I want and need in life. I barely know him and he has changed my life. Seriously, I’ve only met him once. I know a lot of people probably think he motivates me because he’s a guy or because he’s beautiful. Trust me it’s not like that at all. It’s the hard work and dedication he puts into his everyday life that motivates me. He proves to me if you want it you better come and get it. Since March I’ve really thought a lot about who I am, where I want to be and how to get there. I even make goals now. If you know me you know I hate goals. I used to think they were stupid. In the past I made goals. I use the word goals lightly because they were generalization goals. Not concrete goals with a time take. Those goals never worked out. Later on I’d make more goals but then sabotage myself for fear they wouldn’t work out. Then I went ahead and just stopped making goals. Now, I make goals with a timetable and already I’ve begun to achieve them. It’s a great feeling to accomplish something. I started out with small goals. Goals for the day. Go one day without soda. Have the dishes done by 2 pm. Then slowly moved up to the goals I want done by my birthday in August. It’s almost like a game now. And I’m so proud of myself. Of course I was tested. Saturday I was delivered heart breaking news. The kind where you cannot breathe and you think you’re going to have a heart attack. Normally I either go directly to my bed and cry myself to sleep or drink myself to sleep. Today I cried on the ride home but then mowed the lawn and made a card for a friend. That’s a big step in my world. This person has changed my life. One day we will meet again and I will thank him. Until then I’m going to keep challenging myself to be a better me:)

I’ve never been a goal oriented person. They always frustrated me. See, my life is a constant Murphy’s law. Anything that can happen will happen. This year I decided that four months before my birthday I would make goals to finish by the time I hit my birthday. Short term goals. <3

so here they are <3

Goals

• lose 20 pounds
• be able to run 5k
• finish writing and record a song
• find something to smile about everyday <3 

My mom is my best friend. She always has been and always will be. I guess you could say I never really had a “Mom”. We never really had the stereotypical mother-daughter relationship. I was allowed to have input on almost every family decision and she taught me the fine art of compromising. My mom constantly put her life on hold to take care of my dad when he had cancer and to be there for her brother and dad while they were ill. She gave up on her dream of getting a college education so I could get a private high school education. She’s done so much for me over the years. So when she got sick a few months back I did my best to try to make some of her dreams come true. (side note: we found out last Tuesday my mom isn’t dying. The doctors are 99% sure that she’s having three different kinds of migraines at the same time. As my mom says it’s life altering not life ending). The only dream I was able to make come true for her was a chance to have her see Lidstrom play at the Joe. She’s been a fan of Lidstrom since he started playing in the NHL and I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to raise a Blackhawks loving child. So on Easter I surprised her with Round 1 Game 3 NHL Stanley cup playoffs tickets. I felt a little gipped because she was so shocked she couldn’t speak. Normally she cries. I was expecting tears. TEARS I SAY, TEARS!  So this April 15th 2012 my momma and I took the 3 hour trip from Stow to Detroit to watch her boys play.

I have to say the trip wasn’t so bad except for the awful amount of construction we had to drive through on the turnpike. The exit to get to the Joe is literally right off of route 10. You get off at the exit for the Joe and oh look you’re driving into the parking garage. It’s quite convenient if you ask me.

As we walked to the Joe we kept making jokes about how it looked like we were in a spaceship.Then there we were in front of the arena soaking it all in. You could feel the electricity of excitement in the air. Everyone was staring upwards, smiling and taking pictures. I looked up and let out a squeal of happiness. “Omygod mom it’s AL”. My mom shook her head saying, “Elaine sometimes I wonder about you.” Just as I turned around to walk away I caught her staring at Al with the biggest smile plastered across her face. When we walked through the doors her smile became so huge I thought her face would break. Any doctors reading this I see you shaking your head. It’s totally possible, you don’t know my family we tend to be medical freaks of nature.

The atmosphere inside The Joe is a bit intense. I thought it was because it was the first round of the playoffs but a security guard told me different. He told me that hockey fans from all over the world come to see the history that lies within The Joe. When you walk in the front doors history stares you in the face. Three statues dedicated to three amazing players sit there and tell you the magic of the Detroit Red Wings. As you walk around the arena the walls are painted with images of the players past and present. There’s even a display case adorned with miniature Stanley Cups that goes through the history of the multitude of success the team has experienced. I can now see why the Red Wings settle for nothing less than excellence.

After walking around for a good half hour my mom and I found our seats. Someone online said our exact seats were the “typical nose bleeds” and were upset because they could “see the game better on their television at home in a recliner”. My response to that is this. I’ve been to football and baseball games with higher seats. One of the only things that could make these seats more comfortable would be if they were actually recliners. Of course you could see the game better on your television. That’s what the television is for. You know what you don’t get from sitting at home in a recliner? The crazy awesome fans and the pumped up atmosphere. I’m sure the opening ceremony was either not shown on TV or it was lost in translation. I grew up loathing the Red Wings. I grew up hating their existence. In fact, having grown up in Chicago and having my whole family live in Ohio I was molded to spew hatred towards that state up north. There was even a time when I cried all the way through the Michigan leg of our Canadian road trip because I was told “Ann Arbor is a dirty filthy whore”. Yet when they showed the opening ceremony montage I cried. The amount of history, magic, and hockey in it’s original form was overwhelming. While the montage was playing the fans were waving red light sticks in the air making the moment breathtakingly beautiful. After that moment I couldn’t help but root for the Red Wings. 

Even though the Red Wings lost and the couple behind us soaked our clothes in beer my mom and I had a night we will never forget. For the most part the fans were a pleasure to be around. To the guy who whistled at me in the parking garage and to the group sitting in front of us starting Jimmy Howard cheers I thank you for the entertainment you provided. To the security guys who helped us find our way around the arena, threw my trash away for me and treated my mom with complete respect: from the bottom of my heart I thank you. To the lady who sang “It’s my party” to me while I waited for my gluten free sandwich: your voice is beautiful and you truly are a blessing from God. To the photographer who jokingly told me to put my mom on a leash and then laughed when I told him I once had a leash: one day retribution shall be mine and I hope you can capture that moment for me. To the lady who works at the arena that I scared : I am so sorry and thanks for not having a heart attack or punching me in the face.

I’m glad I had a chance to share this experience with my mom. It definitely will be a day we will never forget.

If you guys could please take a moment to vote for my best guy friend’s mom. It would be much appreciated. Mrs. Schultz is such a fantastic woman and has been through a lot in life. Yet, she remains positive and strong. Mrs. Schultz has always been an inspiration to me. She is kind, caring, loving, hardworking, dedicated, and a great mother/wife to her family. I am proud to know her.

Below is the letter that was sent in on her behalf by her cousin.This family is in desperate need of Wheelchair accessible vehicle. So please consider voting here.

Imagine you are 49 years old, a wife, a mother and working outside the home. Imagine that your husband of 19 years and both your daughters are wheelchair-bound. Imagine that husband is legally blind and has had Multiple Sclerosis for over 30 years. Imagine that one daughter is 23, was born with Trisomy 11q, (a very rare genetic anomaly) , is uncommunicative and has contractures in both legs and knees. She also is quite tall and has no trunk control. Continue to imagine your youngest child, almost 17, was diagnosed with MS at the young age of 11 and requires a specialized wheelchair when her symptoms flare. Imagine getting your husband and daughters to school (Jerry recently completed his BA in Social Science), doctor appointments and events. Imagine you do all these things without live-in help and while you work outside the home.

This probably sounds like an unbelievable scenario but it is one my cousin Laura Schultz deals with every single day. In her own words: “ We have NEVER traveled all at once since Jerry has been limited to a wheelchair! He can transfer (with assistance) to a car passenger seat, but then I need to put the manual chair in the backseat (no passengers), he is no longer able to climb into our van since it’s a full-size conversion. The van we currently have has a regular sized side door entrance without a lowered floor. What this means is that I need to tilt Krystie’s chair to get her inside, and Jerry literally has to bend in half at the waist to clear his head – until he’s inside. The van is only equipped for ONE wheelchair! If I had to take Krystie and Jerry what I’ve done is wheel her in, carry her to the backseat, and then put Jerry in his chair in the wheelchair tie-downs! Not the safest for her (Krystie) due to lack of trunk control.”

So once again I ask you to imagine this wife, mother and her family. Imagine what a blessing a fully-adaptive van would be for them. Imagine them being able to travel SAFELY as a family. Imagine how little it would take for you to say “yes” by voting for them in this contest. On behalf of Laura and her family I thank you for your consideration.

Thank you for helping make a difference