In Loving Memory

It's one thing to look at a person for who they are and how they shaped your life, but it's an entirely different thing to be present at a funeral where the Church was too full for every guest to take a seat. He impacted so many people. When I think of Gramps, I think of a collage of colorful memories from piling orange peels in a compost pile of worms to holding hands as we walked along Michigan Avenue for five miles on our one-on-one date. Gramps was a hands-on grandfather. He was at every game; every recital; every play. He practiced what he preached. He didn't tell us how to be; he showed us how to be. It's amazing for someone to have come from such a broken past to create such an incredible life for himself and his family. I will never forget skating up in Lake Forest and having our picture taken together for the newspaper. I will never forget the face you made before giving me a rough hug. I will never forget the advice you gave me about how to swing a baseball bat. And I will never forget the lessons you taught me to make me a stronger person. Hard work pays off. A little bit goes a long way. At the end of every day, you are who you choose to be and what you make of yourself. I hope that in my life, I can be as inspired and driven as you were. And I hope that I can live every day to the fullest as you did. I will miss you Gramps. Love always, Meggers.

Rustic Winter

My Resolutions for 2010

I know that in the month of December, I probably come up with over one hundred things that I am going to change in the new year. The week before Jan 1st is always a struggle because I think that the magical moment at 12 am that rings in the new year will change my life. Yet the reality that we hear every day is that we are in charge of these changes. Besides the small things I intend to do: save enough money to travel to Italy in 2011, eat less processed foods, and learn how to cook a new recipe per season, I have found there are bigger things I want to do. This is a year of major changes with the approaching end to my college career. I plan on increasing my grades, getting an internship within the year, and creating plans B and C if Plan A doesn't work out (which of course is still to be determined). The biggest resolution I have is to respect myself more. This will be done by working much harder in school, taking care of myself, letting go of people and things that don't make my life better, and embracing all the passions I have such as writing, photography, and singing. I could not have been blessed more with a better family or friends, no matter how scattered we all are across the map. These changes are all changes I will make. Starting right now. As one wise soul once said, "You gotta stop putting your wishbone where your backbone oughta be" -anonymous-

Happy 2010