Posts Tagged support

Love & Help for Anissa

Posted by Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom in Friends, Love, Making A Difference, Mental/Emotional, Relationships on November 17, 2009

*For updates on Anissa, you can visit her CaringBridge Page.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was going to tell you about how great it is to have my laptop back and tell you a little about what I went through to get it fixed, but being on Twitter more again today led me to learn some awful news about a wonderful lady who is a friend and fellow blogger.

Anissa, of Free Anissa and Aiming Low, had a stroke this afternoon.

(This is her second. You can read about her first one in 2005 here.)

Often when you hear bad news about someone, the first thing you think of is that last time you talked to them or saw them in person. In October, Anissa, Mishelle, and I spoke at a seminar and we got to share laughs and drinks together the night before. It was a fabulous time because of the amazing company.

Anissa is such a fireball and, at the same time, just the most lovable sweetheart you’ve ever met.

This post, at Aiming Low, tells how you can help her and her family – especially if you are in the Atlanta area. Please visit Aiming Low for this post as well as new updates on her condition and how you can continue to help.

(If that page won’t load for you, it may be getting hit with a lot of traffic, and you can go here for the information it holds, as well.)

If you have a chance, send Anissa love on Twitter – (her handle is @AnissaMayhew) When you tweet, you can use the #hashtag #prayersforanissa so that your messages join together with those of many others thinking about and supporting her and her family.

You can also show your support by changing your Twitter Avatar to a photo of you and Anissa together, if you have one. If you don’t, you can still show support with your Twitter Avatar by adding a Twibbon to it. There are currently two available:

For updates on her condition and to leave her and her family supportive messages on the guestbook, please visit Anissa’s CaringBridge Page.

You can also send her messages on or her Facebook page if you’re a friend of hers there. And by all means, pray, if that is your way. Remember, if you are in Atlanta, you may be able to help her family in a more practical way (see link above).

We are all used to seeing Anissa’s smiling face online and being entertained by her quick wit, her fabulous humor… and her magnificent rack. (She was First Runner Up in Bewb Fest 09, remember?)

Tonight, many of us are shedding tears and wringing our hands in worry. She is being showered with love, lifted in prayer, and thought of all across the world. There is hope, boundless. There are jokes and stories being told in her honor. We wait for updates and continue to push our strength out to her and her loved ones.

Anissa, there’s tons of love for you from all of your friends, all over. We are sending you everything we can, and we won’t give up! We all know you’d do the same for any of us.

Now get your ass out of that hospital and back here where you’re supposed to be making us laugh, woman.

We love you.

Anissa Mayhew, Caring Bridge, family, Friend, help, love, Paypal, Prayers, Stroke, support, Twibbon

No Comments

Bet you didn’t know you had wings.

Posted by Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom in Depression, Love, Mental/Emotional, Miscarriage, Miscellaneous Blabbering, Relationships on December 18, 2008

On Monday I sent John to get us a Christmas tree.

I like real trees. I know that many people have their own, good reasons for having fake trees, but I just can’t have one. I need the smell of a real tree. I need the mess of annoying real tree needles to scatter the carpet. I need the real tree sappy bark and the real tree prickly branches.

I like it when things are real. They hold more meaning for me, somehow. I am alive when I feel.

Real.

Monday evening, I opened a large storage container. In fact, last year, I closed myself up in it entirely, which is a humorous thing for me to recall. What’s even more amusing to me is that, in true camera-obsessed form, I had my Kodak in there with me.

Instead of a dork, it now contains our Christmas decorations. One of the things inside was the Angel we top our tree with each year. We have owned her for about 4 years. Her arms, held open with ribbons and ornaments streaming from one, are posable. I have never moved them, however, and I pack her carefully each year so she that remains in the same position.

So I was more than a bit taken aback when I pulled her out of the box on Monday evening like this:

It was a striking image, her arm thrown across her face, ribbons and ornaments still streaming from her hand. As if the Reality of the family that she was joining this year was too much to bear.

Was she shielding her eyes from my pain? Weeping for us; unable to bear witness.

Tuesday morning, looking down at my own hand, I was reminded of my Angel.

And I realized that I had misinterpreted the message I’d received in her the previous night.

Others are not shielding themselves from this hurt I’m sharing. My pain is not being avoided – it is being shared by and divided amongst all of my “angels.” Without them (you guys), the burden would be heavier, because I would carry it practically alone.

You are my Angels, so to speak.

Every message you send me. Every comment you leave. Every email I get. Every @SarcasticMomLC you shoot my way on Twitter. You are bearing witness, standing with me, and sharing my pain – you are lessening my burden by supporting me. All your messages do this.

Please forgive me if I have not the strength or words yet to reply to them all… but know I see them all. I see all of you.

I see you, throwing your hands across your faces with me, the ribbons streaming from them beautifully as you each take a little piece of my pain so I do not feel alone here in “the abyss.”

Sometimes it hurts when things are so real. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, really.

Thanks for letting me feel safe being real.

angel, Angels, christmas, comments, Depression, Email, friends, holiday, Meaning, Message, Miscarriage, pain, Real, sharing, Shielding, support, thank you, tree, Twitter, Weeping, Witness

78 Comments

Could you get right on that, Eclipse and Orbit? Thanks!

Posted by Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom in Body/Health, Weight Loss/Getting In Shape on July 22, 2008

When I wrote recently about how I’m re-motivated to attack my fat rolls, get in shape, and lose some more weight, some of you said, “Me too!” and others said something like, “Tell us how it goes, we need encouragement!”

So, um, I’m going to keep you updated on how I’m doing and what’s working for me, and you can chime in and let me know the same. In this way, I get held accountable by all of you to actually keep doing this!

It’s really very easy to sit on the couch and eat popcorn and M&Ms. Eating healthy all day (or rather, just NOT EATING ALL DAY LONG) and keeping myself moving is the hard-to-do thing!

Since the last post I wrote about all this, I’ve actually hung out with Billy Blanks 4 times. Yes, I know that is a small number of times to write on a page this big. But I actually feel REALLY triumphant about it, because I wanted to give up EVERY TIME and I DIDN’T. (I also had to wait out a nagging lower back pain - remember to listen to your body when it tells you to wait a couple days!)

I still fall on my face at least 5 and a half times each time I try to do all the stuff Billy’s doing, but at the end when he says he loves me, it makes me all gushy and stuff. And the bruises really do fade away after a couple of days if you make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D and K. So, you know, I keep at it.

The cool thing is that I actually am getting better at that crazy Tae Bo crap, and I’m able to complete more of the video each time. When I get winded, I grab a glass of water, sit on the edge of the couch, and keep moving my arms and legs while I sip the H20. That keeps me hydrated and gives me a little time to catch my breath while I’m still keeping my body moving (any movement is better than none). When I feel stronger again, I jump right back in with what Billy’s doing and keep at it. There is no shame in this! In fact, practicing this type of acceptance about what your body is currently able to do will help you actually stick with the program long enough to see results and improve your performance over time. So don’t ever feel bad about listening to your body.

I have yet to re-attack Miss D’umo specifically. But you just wait. I am going to do that before long, and I will make sure to post pictures for all you lovely people.

My snacking curb tip for right now is that I drink a ton of water and I chew gum. It really actually helps dispel some of the pointless snacking I want to do. (As for meals, I’ve been eating stuff like this.)

If only they’d come out with ChocolateCakewithWhiteIcing flavored sugarless gum, then my life would be complete.

What works for you?

accountability, billy blanks, Body Image, Chew Gum, diet, Drink Water, exercise, Fitness, getting in shape, Healthy, listen to your body, lose weight, Motivation, support, tabitha d'umo, Tae Bo Cardio, tips, weight gain, weight loss, workout