Brittany Maynard

I am so touched by her story. When she talks about it, she is so calm and up front and it's just crazy moving.  She reminds me to take stock and re-think my approach and get moving, be creative, be present and pursue what I care about instead of making it a part-time hobby.

I am not looking forward to spending all day in a hospital tomorrow, but it's a little empowering to be the one waiting for someone else to come out of an operating room for a change. Even so, just thinking about being inside a hospital gives me anxiety. Once I'm sick and I'm there, it's a comforting place. But when I feel very well, just setting foot in one makes me feel like I'm jinxing myself. BUT, being needed and caring for people is a huge part of what makes me feel alive and at my best, so I'm more than happy to be there for my mom. Lord knows she's spent a good amount of time in a rigid plastic chair worrying about me, so it's high time I return that favor.

Never take your health for granted. Never take your body for granted. This is the vessel you get. Be good to it. Love it. Move like you love yourself. The things you adorn yourself with are so secondary to the strength and confidence you build in what is underneath. Because, trust me, when you are unwell, the last damn thing you care about is that purse you really want or when you'll get to wear those great shoes or what someone at the party thinks about your dress. You'll start to worry about things like "Did I pet enough dogs? Did I hug enough babies? Do my friends and family really know how loved they are and how much joy and amusement they have brought to my life? Did I see the sunrise enough? Did I kiss enough? (we know I'll never have an 'enough' there) Did I swim enough? Did I play enough? Did I make even one person's life better because I was here?"

Be kind. Be kind to others and yourself. Walk away from painful things. Embrace joyful things. Pet more dogs. Trust me on that one too. I pet every damn dog I see. People on the street really enjoy it when I stop them. The dogs like it too....I think.