A Birthday Song for Steve: We Have Been Changed For Good

"Good done anywhere is eventually good done everywhere."

~ Maya Angelou

Steve & Katie, June 2007

Last night Dylan and I had a rare night out to watch the San Antonio Symphony perform with Katie Rose Clark and Nicole Parker who have played respectively Glinda the Good Witch of the North and Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West on Broadway in the spectacular Wicked.  It was a wonderful show; both ladies are SO talented and belted out number after number from past Broadway shows.  The theme of the evening was "Wicked Divas," a clever description for a collection of songs by strong, amazing divas from the stage and screen.  We loved it.

For their final number, they performed For Good, from the final scene between Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked (for those who haven't seen it). For some reason, as they sang, the song made me think of my friend Steve Damm who would have turned 44 years old today.  He was taken from us far too soon when he died of brain cancer in 2009.  He's been on my mind lately because his wife and my best friend Tyra invited everyone for the second year in a row to do an act of kindness in honor of his birthday.  Last year her goal was 43 acts of kindness (for 43 years); 200+ acts were recorded on her family's blog about Steve! 

These lines from the song reminded me of Steve: 
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

As I write this, Tyra continues to update the blog with dozens of random acts of kindness performed around the world because of Steve.  It's amazing.  We miss him so, and his passing left a hole in our lives that still feels strange, but he also left an amazing legacy in his family and everything he did during his short life that, in big and small ways, continues to make the world a better place.  So here's a song for you, Steve, on your birthday: Because we knew you, we have been changed for good.

For Good
 
(Glinda):
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good
(Elphaba):
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

(Glinda):
Because I knew you

(Both):
I have been changed for good

 

Happy Birthday, Steve!

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Unexpected

My pink rose, five days later and still lovely.

On Monday, the dreariest and wettest day of this past week, I was forced to leave the warm cocoon of my home and drive myself to my mammogram appointment with my orders for my yearly screening (sort of like an early birthday present from my doctor--ha!). I had not visited this particular imaging center before; there are dozens of them all over town and I usually choose one that I'll be near on that particular day.

I dragged myself into the imaging center. It was surprising. Tasteful decor and comfy reception room furnishings and coffee and donuts too. It even smelled pretty in there. I was tempted to take a donut while filling out my paperwork, but I fought the temptation. After I was whisked into the changing room, which was also quite nice, I was given a pink gown to wear and told to wait in an anteroom with other ladies. There were lots of magazines, TV airing 'The View' (of course) and several space heaters to keep everyone comfy-cozy while waiting. You could even text or check messages because everyone was allowed to keep their phones and purses with them.

The procedure itself is pretty quick and painless, with just a little bit of squishing-squashing to get the correct images. Honestly, I dread the idea of the mammogram more than the event itself.

After getting dressed again, I followed the exit signs back to the reception area and passed a table filled with snacks (granola bars, candy, etc.) which I thought was a nice touch, but passed on a snack to go. As I left the office, I was handed a single pink rose and thanked by the receptionist for coming.

I put the rose to my nose and inhaled deeply. Roses rarely fail to deliver their sweet scent. I was truly surprised and completely delighted by my perfect pink rose and this amazing boutique imaging center for women. I know I smiled all the way out the door of the office and into my car. I drove away under an increasingly-ominous sky with my perfect pink rose in the seat next to me, a tiny bit of joy unexpected.

Are You There Blog? It's Me, Melissa

My Lunar New Year Resolution: Blog More

I'm baaaaack! Have not blogged since last summer, and just once in memory of sweet Steve. I was too ashamed to blog, really, since my spectacularly short-lived 'Year of Living Creatively' experiment crashed and burned after 2 short weeks. (I actually started a Week 3 post, but never finished it. So much for living creatively.)

My "business" blogs suffered too. I did post several cakes last year on my Sweet Spot blog, but the Paper Dolls site was basically dormant, without a single post in 2011! Sorry!

But as always, I have been online night and day, even if I haven't updated my blog(s). I discovered that Twitter is waaay more fun than the new Facebook and the even newer Facebook Timeline. So I've logged in 268 tweets in about a year. My love-hate relationship with Facebook continued throughout. I teetered between obsessively checking it multiple times a day and not just caring about the 20, and only 20, friends that Facebook thinks I need to know about.

I read voraciously online. Anything. Everything. The Internet is the single most amazing invention in my lifetime and I honestly cannot remember what I did in my free time before it took over the world. I love that anything and everything are at my fingertips, literally. I think my screen time increases exponentially each year, frightening thought. All last year I had a smart phone, bought at Thanksgiving 2010 for our Christmas trip to Disney World because I wanted to use the Disney parks apps! I was slow to get started, but once I figured out everything you can do with the tiny computer masquerading as a phone, I was online "via phone" all the time. By Christmas 2011, I had to request an increase in my data plan allowance due to consistently going over my plan!

But I have missed blogging and sharing news, photos and stories with the few lovely souls who used to read them. So my Lunar New Year resolution (too late for the official one!) is to try to blog again! I said "try" because I'm not Yoda. I may not be able to post on all four of my blogs all the time (been there, done that, too much work!) but I hope to be here more than I was last year. Don't give up on me yet!