Who’s the Girl with Plans for 4 things in the next 3 Months?

I’ve come to a place where I’m daring to go ahead and commit to do things – which is really a big deal. It started with signing up for a Wellness class through the National MS Society. It was six classes on Tuesday nights, and I was able to make five of the six! It was wonderful to meet new people, ones who are walking (figuratively) a walk similar to mine; to receive and offer encouragement. It was invigorating and validating, and I really enjoyed being with people like me.

It was at one of these classes that I was encouraged to sign up to do stand-up for Gilda’s LaughFest – a fund raiser for Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids. If you haven’t heard of it – it is the nation-wide non-profit organization designed to help everyone who is dealing with cancer. It was started by Gene Wilder in tribute to his wife, Gilda Radner, who was taken too early by ovarian cancer.  

A few years ago they started LaughFest, where big name comics come into our little town and perform in a ten-day festival at different locations. Past performers have included Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and Betty White, and this year we have Chris Tucker. I have done stand-up off and on for years, and have wanted to participate in LaughFest since it came about – but have always been too physically maxed-out to consider it. Well, with this new encouragement, this year I submitted my application.

To be fair, I front-loaded it with the fact that June 2^nd will be 17 years since I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and laughter is a great way to thumb my nose at it. But I was able to share a bit a video from You Tube of me doing MS stand-up in Boston, proof to support the notion that I could hold my own on stage for this. And I was chosen to be one of the community participants! I get five minutes at The B.O.B. (Big Old Building) in Grand Rapids on Sunday night, March 16^th! Check www.laughfestgr.org for more info. Thankfully, the Community Showcases are free.

I was totally OK with being wiped out as a result of this, knowing that my next big thing wasn’t until the end of May, when my nephew gets married. I know that LaughFest is going to take it out of me, but so what? It’s my energy and I’ll use it the way I want!

Well, then I read about the MS Action Day, where people with the disease go speak with our state representatives about things they can do to make it easier for us. My mom has worked with state congress people her entire career, so this is right down her alley and I knew she’d love to do it, too. It’s March 26^th, an hour+ away from where I live. That’s only ten days after LaughFest, but so what? I’m doing it!

Then I found this little craft for Easter on the internet – little edibles that are so cute – but I have no grandchildren to justify the purchase of Twinkies and Peeps. Well, thanks to one of my new MS buddies from the Wellness classes, I might get to make some for a local coffee shop for Easter! Easter is the 20^th of April this year, so I’ll still have weeks to rest up for my nephew’s wedding in Connecticut - the most important "happening" of my year.

Who’s the girl with so much to do in the next three months? This girl! That I have the confidence to put these things on my plate – I can’t tell you how huge this is. Don’t get me wrong – I will be a limp wash rag for days after each one of these things. And a huge reason I can decide to do these things is because I don’t have to grocery shop, or cook, or clean, or try to work.

But to dare to agree to do so much in March and April, and make a wedding at the end of May is…?  I can’t even think of a word to describe it. Awesome? Fantastic? Wonderful? Exciting? Yes, plus.

Blessed. That’s the word. Blessed that I’m able, and blessed that I can trust that I can do all these big things. There have been many months when trying to do just one of these was too much to entertain.

 

God is Good.