Photo of the Week: My Boo

Good morning, everyone!

So this Monday isn't just another Monday to me...today marks the 2nd anniversary of my best friend Ken's passing.  We called each other "Boo," and I still don't know how that got started, hence the title of this post.

Those of you who know me know that I'm the sentimental sort, so anniversaries like today's are important to me. I know many of you out there knew and loved him as well, so our Photo of the Week is a great pic of Ken in his prime, as I want to remember him, way before cancer or chemotherapy were a part of his reality. He was a vibrant, exuberant, gregarious, wonderful person who enriched the lives of all who knew him and were fortunate enough to call him a friend.

If you knew and loved Ken too, you may want to check out my recent "tribute" post about him, "Thank You For Being a Friend."

Miss you, Boo. You are still so loved.

Recharge Your Batteries

"Me time."  We all talk about it. We all crave it. And I'm willing to bet almost all of us don't get enough.

When you're a parent, it becomes especially difficult to set aside some time to recharge your batteries....but it's also especially important.  The many challenges that come with parenting necessitate a strong and willing spirit - and you can't be at your best if you're overtired, stressed, and never take a break or spend time with friends.

That's pretty much been my life until recently. I've had some rough things to deal with this year so far, and so I've been feeling a bit more run down and emotional than usual. (Insert joke here.)  So I was fortunate that I got to spend last weekend visiting my best friend, known by Anna and on MLWP as "Uncle Keith." During my visit, Uncle Keith and I got to spend an afternoon hanging out in New York City, browsing in shops, eating, drinking, all that good stuff.

It was wonderful.

NYC baby!

Thank You For Being a Friend

Today's post is a tribute to the best friend I have ever had, my unofficial brother, Ken.  Those of you who know me know how devastated I was almost two years ago when he passed away far too young after a difficult battle with cancer. On this date he would have turned 41.

Ours was a long and beautiful friendship filled with laughter and love and yes, occasional drama. Thankfully, though, that drama was never with each other! For ten years, we supported each other through relationship problems, breakups, family drama, financial difficulties, relocation... the disappointments and challenges of life. But we also celebrated life's triumphs and joys: the beginnings of new relationships, professional successes, career changes, and happy events like falling in love with a beautiful little baby girl.

Taking on NYC, Aug. 2004

And The Beat Goes On

Stress.  We all deal with it in one way, shape or form. Sometimes it's little annoyances, like slow drivers when we're already late for work, and sometimes it's big ones, like wondering how you'll pay a bill that month.

But if there's one thing being a parent teaches you, it's that no matter how much stress or sadness you're dealing with, life goes on. It must, no matter what.

And sometimes, that really sucks.