The Weekly Toast
Today is my first Weekly Toast without the self-imposed restriction of keeping it on a Wednesday. I feel that a Weekly Toast is necessary to still recognize and spread some positivity around, be it something completely personal to me or a bit of frivolity I want to share. Today, it is the former.
Today is my 28th birthday and I want to toast everyone who has made my life’s journey possible.
champagne truffles purchased in Ireland
I can’t speak for everyone with a chronic illness, but it has been my experience that those of us who have lived with a heightened threat of death lurking just out of our shadow that birthdays, and particularly, getting older, is something never to mourn but always celebrate.
That I am able to be here, sitting on the computer typing this on my 28th birthday is a miracle in and of itself. Below is my list of those people I’d like to give my Weekly Toast to as they all have contributed in some manner, shape or way in making sure I am able to celebrate this day:
To my parents who gave me the spark of life. Dad, thanks for always being able to talk me off a ledge. Mom, thanks for everything.
To my Grandmother for being my #1 cheerleader and sharing her birthday parties with me for 24 years. She would have been celebrating her 94th today.
To the young doctor in his fellowship that recognized something was not right with infant me and saved me from old school medical fallacy.
To Dr. Jue, my first cardiologist, who gave me my first reboot on life (sorry I totally kicked you in the chest that one time.)
To my brother, for being the funniest and most infuriating, loving brother ever.
To Dr. Saleem, my favorite childhood cardiologist, who didn’t take any of my crap and made me work for his respect.
To KD, who is in all definition of the words, my true best friend.
To KD’s parents, for loving me like a fifth daughter – and to KD’s dad in particular for always making sure I took my medicine on time.
To Mrs. Arbogast & Mr. Ryan – my 3rd and 4th grade teachers, for making us read all of those wonderful, wonderful books and giving me my first taste of writing. Mr. Ryan, thank you for recognizing my first struggles with math and making me stay in at recess to work on fractions. If more teachers had been like you, perhaps I would have passed algebra.
To all of my childhood bullies, you have provided my creative force with an endless supply of nemesis for all of my protagonists.
To my cat, Mr. Destiny, for providing me with 16+ years of unconditional love and being exactly what author Philip Pullman was able to capture between humans & daemons in His Dark Materials.
To my sister for adopting me and stepping in just when I needed a big sister in my life.
To Judy, my mentor, for listening to me prattle on for years about people who don’t exist and giving me words of encouragement.
To Annie, the one friend I took away from the wreckage of Junior High.
To South Pasadena, for being the quaint little tree-lined town you are and giving me a fresh start and fabulous new friends whom I still love and spend much of my time with.
To the Cruft family, for giving me the biggest opportunity of my life and continuing to let me share a bit of your family.
To TEAM RACHAEL!, for knowing there is no “i” in T-E-A-M but in P-I-E!
To Camp del Corazon, for giving me a community, a purpose and teaching me it’s OK to be emotionally vulnerable and make friends of my heart peers.
To all of the Bat-fiends who gave me the courage to start this website and pursue writing in the public eye.
To everyone at The Place Media Group for giving me a tremendous opportunity in a field I had only dared to dream about.
And to all of my readers out there right now, reading this. You are a true dream come true.
