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Notes From My Heart
| Sunday, September 25, 2005 |
In loving memory of Jad Seblani- 1983-2005
Today was such a hard day for me. I just came from Miami from my good friend's memorial service. He died of cancer. He
would have been 22 today. He had asked to be buried in Lebanon, where he is from, right next to his grandfather. So, there was
no proper funeral here. Jad: I miss your smiling face, your thoughtful heart, and never ending love. You were like a big brother
to me. I'll never forget you. I'll never forget all the laughs we shared. You brought a smile to my face every time I saw you;
however, you are not with us anymore. You have suffered so much, having been fighting cancer for 2 and a half years, before it
finally took your life. I know you're in a better place now, without suffering, however I only wish you could still be here with
us today. It's so hard to say good bye. You can never imagine how many people you have touched. The memorial service was
amazing. The love could be felt throughout the entire room. Your father hugged me and said “and you, he loved so much.”
Your younger brother, Ronnie, looks identical to you. Even though I only met him a couple of times, he came right up to me
and gave me a huge hug. I hugged your sister, Maggie, and your mother as they cried on my shoulder. A picture of you and I
was shown in the slide show. It was a picture from the last Christmas party when you were feeling better. I'll never forget when
your father came up to me and told me how you kept the rosary I gave you right next to your bed and that you constantly
talked about me. Now your father carries that rosary in his wallet. You are a shining example to all of us. I will always
remember your smile, hugs, love of people, your positive attitude and way of making everyone around you feel special. Your
last words to your family were “We'll fight this” and “Be strong...I love you.” How much I have cried. You will live in our
hearts and minds forever. I love you.
Today was such a hard day for me. I just came from Miami from my good friend's memorial service. He died of cancer. He
would have been 22 today. He had asked to be buried in Lebanon, where he is from, right next to his grandfather. So, there was
no proper funeral here. Jad: I miss your smiling face, your thoughtful heart, and never ending love. You were like a big brother
to me. I'll never forget you. I'll never forget all the laughs we shared. You brought a smile to my face every time I saw you;
however, you are not with us anymore. You have suffered so much, having been fighting cancer for 2 and a half years, before it
finally took your life. I know you're in a better place now, without suffering, however I only wish you could still be here with
us today. It's so hard to say good bye. You can never imagine how many people you have touched. The memorial service was
amazing. The love could be felt throughout the entire room. Your father hugged me and said “and you, he loved so much.”
Your younger brother, Ronnie, looks identical to you. Even though I only met him a couple of times, he came right up to me
and gave me a huge hug. I hugged your sister, Maggie, and your mother as they cried on my shoulder. A picture of you and I
was shown in the slide show. It was a picture from the last Christmas party when you were feeling better. I'll never forget when
your father came up to me and told me how you kept the rosary I gave you right next to your bed and that you constantly
talked about me. Now your father carries that rosary in his wallet. You are a shining example to all of us. I will always
remember your smile, hugs, love of people, your positive attitude and way of making everyone around you feel special. Your
last words to your family were “We'll fight this” and “Be strong...I love you.” How much I have cried. You will live in our
hearts and minds forever. I love you.
| This is the section where I am able to write my heart out. I guess you could call it a blog; a place for me to open up my heart and talk about what I'm feeling, what I'm going through, or even what I ate for lunch. Thanks for reading =) Love, Megan Barreneche |
| Monday, December 26, 2005 |
My doctor's Christmas party was December 10th and it was a great opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones. It was a
great time to relax and enjoy yourself, not worrying about upcoming treatments and surgeries. I saw people who I hadn’t seen
in a while. However, there were so many new patients, all going through what I went through only just a year ago. It was
supposed to be a place where new and old patients relaxed and enjoyed time out of the hospital; however the looks on the
newly diagnosed patient’s faces showed otherwise. Their faces showed pain and suffering, all going through what I went
through only just a year ago. They weren’t feeling good, and you could tell. They felt what I felt when I was first diagnosed-
frightened, sick, in pain, hurting, tired, stressed, suffering, suffering, suffering. & I only wished I could have done something to
help wipe off the worried expressions on their faces. It brought me to tears thinking they were right in front of me suffering as
much, or maybe even more, as I did, and there was nothing I could do. However, thinking back I never realized I really was
helping them out. By starting something I truly believe in, this organization, I was helping wipe those sad-looking faces off the
young, newly-diagnosed patients. I was, and am, making a difference. Those children may be stuck in the hospital but the Fun
Centers are removing those worried looks. The children may be stuck in the hospital, but their parents will not go hungry
because of our meal cards. The children may be in the hospital, but their birthdays and holidays will be filled with laughter and
happiness, along with presents and a catered dinner. You see, at moments when I feel I can do nothing to help, I realize I have
this organization to fall back on. It helps me realize that with an organization like Megan’s Angel Wings, I can truly reach a new
level and experience the joy of helping others going through problems I went through. However I could have not beaten cancer
and started a not-for-profit organization without the support of my family, and that support was shown even greater during
this Christmas time. The 87th Annual Brown Family Christmas Reunion, Brown and Brown Architects and their wonderful staff,
Lemartec Engineering and Construction Corp. and their wonderful staff, and Garcia-Tunon & Associates showed me what can
really happen when everybody works together to help support a family member and their cause. They may think I was the
strong one for beating cancer, however, the truth is, without them I could have never done it. Every day when I was in the
hospital there was always a family member there to entertain me. I can even remember a time when my cousins were over and I
was given medicine to put me to sleep because of pain and Vero & Olivia still stayed watching TV even though I was
completely asleep. Nurses used to always joke around about how there always seemed to be a party in my room, because it
was always completely filled. I feel so grateful and so proud to think they are my family. I would not ask for any other family
because without them, I could not be doing what I am doing today. Thank you to all and I will always love you.
great time to relax and enjoy yourself, not worrying about upcoming treatments and surgeries. I saw people who I hadn’t seen
in a while. However, there were so many new patients, all going through what I went through only just a year ago. It was
supposed to be a place where new and old patients relaxed and enjoyed time out of the hospital; however the looks on the
newly diagnosed patient’s faces showed otherwise. Their faces showed pain and suffering, all going through what I went
through only just a year ago. They weren’t feeling good, and you could tell. They felt what I felt when I was first diagnosed-
frightened, sick, in pain, hurting, tired, stressed, suffering, suffering, suffering. & I only wished I could have done something to
help wipe off the worried expressions on their faces. It brought me to tears thinking they were right in front of me suffering as
much, or maybe even more, as I did, and there was nothing I could do. However, thinking back I never realized I really was
helping them out. By starting something I truly believe in, this organization, I was helping wipe those sad-looking faces off the
young, newly-diagnosed patients. I was, and am, making a difference. Those children may be stuck in the hospital but the Fun
Centers are removing those worried looks. The children may be stuck in the hospital, but their parents will not go hungry
because of our meal cards. The children may be in the hospital, but their birthdays and holidays will be filled with laughter and
happiness, along with presents and a catered dinner. You see, at moments when I feel I can do nothing to help, I realize I have
this organization to fall back on. It helps me realize that with an organization like Megan’s Angel Wings, I can truly reach a new
level and experience the joy of helping others going through problems I went through. However I could have not beaten cancer
and started a not-for-profit organization without the support of my family, and that support was shown even greater during
this Christmas time. The 87th Annual Brown Family Christmas Reunion, Brown and Brown Architects and their wonderful staff,
Lemartec Engineering and Construction Corp. and their wonderful staff, and Garcia-Tunon & Associates showed me what can
really happen when everybody works together to help support a family member and their cause. They may think I was the
strong one for beating cancer, however, the truth is, without them I could have never done it. Every day when I was in the
hospital there was always a family member there to entertain me. I can even remember a time when my cousins were over and I
was given medicine to put me to sleep because of pain and Vero & Olivia still stayed watching TV even though I was
completely asleep. Nurses used to always joke around about how there always seemed to be a party in my room, because it
was always completely filled. I feel so grateful and so proud to think they are my family. I would not ask for any other family
because without them, I could not be doing what I am doing today. Thank you to all and I will always love you.
| With God All Things Are Possible P.O.Box 990847 Naples, Fl 34116 (239) 348-7667 info@megansangelwings.org |
| 2007 |
Picture this: you’re sitting in a hospital bed after just receiving chemotherapy. You are very tired, weak, and in a lot of pain.
Your great-uncle walks in to your hospital room holding a piece of candy. He smiles and hands you the candy. This same
gesture happens every day up until the day you leave the hospital. Then, when you are home, a letter from this great-uncle
comes in the mail. Inside there isn’t a note, but rather a piece of candy. This, again, happens on a daily basis with eventually
only a candy wrapper in the envelope instead of the actual candy.
It’s little gestures like this that keep you going strong and able to get through it all. Little gestures from people that mean so
much to you, you can’t even describe it and don’t know what your life would be like without them.
Well, if you haven’t guessed it yet, the person in the hospital bed is me and the great-uncle is my great-uncle Bobby. Every
time I was in the hospital, he would come in every day with a piece of candy (usually Werther’s Original because those were
his favorite). It became a joke between us and I ended up calling him the “candy man.” Recently, when he became ill himself
and was sitting in his own hospital bed, I, in turn, visited him with one special gift: a piece of candy. His eyes lit up and then I
knew that this little gesture meant as much to him as to me.
His passing was very difficult for me. During the funeral, I couldn’t stop crying. He was a very special man; the type of man
that everyone turned to. He loved everyone and everyone loved him. He always had a smile on his face, even while he was
struggling to stay alive. To tell you the truth, I had trouble accepting the fact that he was gone. I was in some sort of denial over
the whole thing. I mean, how could a man so full of life and with so many years ahead of him have been taken from this world?
I just couldn’t understand it but at the same time I had to accept it because I had to trust God and believe that he truly knows
what he’s doing. And he does. Bobby is in a better place now, able to do things for us that we can’t even imagine.
During the memorial, I placed a candy wrapper in his pocket so he will forever have all those special moments with him. I am
so thankful to have had Bobby as such a big part of my life and be able to share such special moments with him. Placing that
final candy wrapper in his pocket is a moment I will never forget; it was such an overwhelming time for me. I’d like to thank
Nani and the rest of Bobby’s immediate family for allowing me to give Bobby that final piece of candy he will have forever in
his pocket. You do not know how much that means to me. I also have to commend Ann, Bobby’s wife, for her power to stay so
strong during this tough time. It is truly amazing and she is such an inspiration to us all. I love her and I know she will get
through this because God doesn’t give us more than what we can handle.
So as I write this, Bobby, I am eating a candy in your name and remembering all the good times we shared and all the candy I
received from you. You will never be forgotten.
I love you Candy Man.
Your great-uncle walks in to your hospital room holding a piece of candy. He smiles and hands you the candy. This same
gesture happens every day up until the day you leave the hospital. Then, when you are home, a letter from this great-uncle
comes in the mail. Inside there isn’t a note, but rather a piece of candy. This, again, happens on a daily basis with eventually
only a candy wrapper in the envelope instead of the actual candy.
It’s little gestures like this that keep you going strong and able to get through it all. Little gestures from people that mean so
much to you, you can’t even describe it and don’t know what your life would be like without them.
Well, if you haven’t guessed it yet, the person in the hospital bed is me and the great-uncle is my great-uncle Bobby. Every
time I was in the hospital, he would come in every day with a piece of candy (usually Werther’s Original because those were
his favorite). It became a joke between us and I ended up calling him the “candy man.” Recently, when he became ill himself
and was sitting in his own hospital bed, I, in turn, visited him with one special gift: a piece of candy. His eyes lit up and then I
knew that this little gesture meant as much to him as to me.
His passing was very difficult for me. During the funeral, I couldn’t stop crying. He was a very special man; the type of man
that everyone turned to. He loved everyone and everyone loved him. He always had a smile on his face, even while he was
struggling to stay alive. To tell you the truth, I had trouble accepting the fact that he was gone. I was in some sort of denial over
the whole thing. I mean, how could a man so full of life and with so many years ahead of him have been taken from this world?
I just couldn’t understand it but at the same time I had to accept it because I had to trust God and believe that he truly knows
what he’s doing. And he does. Bobby is in a better place now, able to do things for us that we can’t even imagine.
During the memorial, I placed a candy wrapper in his pocket so he will forever have all those special moments with him. I am
so thankful to have had Bobby as such a big part of my life and be able to share such special moments with him. Placing that
final candy wrapper in his pocket is a moment I will never forget; it was such an overwhelming time for me. I’d like to thank
Nani and the rest of Bobby’s immediate family for allowing me to give Bobby that final piece of candy he will have forever in
his pocket. You do not know how much that means to me. I also have to commend Ann, Bobby’s wife, for her power to stay so
strong during this tough time. It is truly amazing and she is such an inspiration to us all. I love her and I know she will get
through this because God doesn’t give us more than what we can handle.
So as I write this, Bobby, I am eating a candy in your name and remembering all the good times we shared and all the candy I
received from you. You will never be forgotten.
I love you Candy Man.
| Friday, July 3, 2009 |
Wow! It has been so long since I have written a “notes from my heart.” So much has happened to me personally and to Megan’s
Angel Wings. I reached my fifth year remission this past April (April 30th, to be exact) and now I am officially considered
cancer free. My family and I had a mass to celebrate the end of my remission period. It was an amazing mass and I would like
to thank everyone who came and to everyone who participated in the mass, making it a very special night for me: Dad, Mom,
Rudy, Sammie, Mama, Papa, Willie, Amparin, Manny and family, Ewato, Tere, Tessy, Vero, Lily, Olivia, Pepe, Isa, Guillo,
Robbie, Joaquin, Tita, George (Lemartec) and so many more people that would take me forever to name. The mass was
something I will never forget, from Tessy reading the opening letter, to cutting off the LiveStrong bracelets that my dad and I
have been wearing since I began this journey, to listening to a song with words changed just for me (thank you, Ewato. I loved
it and couldn’t stop crying). I totally feel like I’m bragging when I say I have the best family ever. But I really do. They are an
amazing group of people, and no matter how loud we are or how much soap-opera-type drama we have, we are, and always
will be, a family; one that supports each other no matter what. They have been there for me since the first day I was diagnosed
and I honestly can’t thank them enough. I only hope that I can be there for them just as they have been there for me.
This mass, though, was bittersweet. The same day that my mass was held was the same day that one of my great uncles, Fergie,
passed away. He had been fighting for his life for a bit now and it was an extremely difficult time. I, at first, didn’t want to
continue with the mass once we heard the news but my mom told me something that changed my mind. She explained to me
that before his passing, Fergie would not have been able to be with us at this mass and now he is able to sit here with all of us,
celebrating my remission. We decided to continue on with the mass, not only to celebrate my remission but to celebrate the
wonderful life that Fergie had. He was an amazing man who captured everybody’s heart. My fondest memories of Fergie are
when I was younger and would loose a tooth- Fergie was known as the great uncle who would give you a dollar every time
you lost a tooth. I remember the excitement every time I lost a tooth, calling up Fergie to tell him I lost it and how he would
present me with a dollar once I saw him. I love you, Fergie, and miss you so much.
Megan’s Angel Wings has had some really great experiences and changes since I last wrote, too. Last summer, we granted our
first wish! We took a 13 year old battling cancer, Mandy, and her mom to a Jonas Brothers concert. We picked her and her mom
up in a limo and drove her to West Palm Beach, FL where the concert was held. We were fortunate enough to get her third row
concert tickets as well as meet-and-greet passes to meet the Jonas Brothers. She had an amazing time and it was such a great
feeling to fulfill a wish of hers (you can see pictures of this great experience under the “news and events” tab). I hope and pray
that we can continue fulfilling wishes of these special children.
This past semester in school I was in an Ethical Issues class that really helped me think about myself and my morals. (If you
have a chance to take a class like that, it is well worth it!) I learned so much about myself and, not only that, but my entire class
got involved with Megan’s Angel Wings. The whole class separated into groups of 8 and each group was in charge of one care
package for a cancer patient. They decorated the boxes, filled them up with toys, and even wrote special cards for the children.
It really was a great experience and I was so grateful for having a class full of loving and giving students. They all were so
involved in the project and I’m sure they made a difference in those cancer patients’ lives. This class did such an amazing thing
that I felt it was important to share with all of you. I think this just goes to show how a group of people, no matter the age, can
make a big difference in someone else’s life. Some of the students from that class have even volunteered for Megan’s Angel
Wings outside of that one project. I was truly blessed to have had such an amazing class and a great teacher who was willing to
let us do this project for a class grade (everyone received an “A,” of course =)).
Whew! That was a long one- but I just had to update all of you on what was going on!
God Bless,
Megan
Angel Wings. I reached my fifth year remission this past April (April 30th, to be exact) and now I am officially considered
cancer free. My family and I had a mass to celebrate the end of my remission period. It was an amazing mass and I would like
to thank everyone who came and to everyone who participated in the mass, making it a very special night for me: Dad, Mom,
Rudy, Sammie, Mama, Papa, Willie, Amparin, Manny and family, Ewato, Tere, Tessy, Vero, Lily, Olivia, Pepe, Isa, Guillo,
Robbie, Joaquin, Tita, George (Lemartec) and so many more people that would take me forever to name. The mass was
something I will never forget, from Tessy reading the opening letter, to cutting off the LiveStrong bracelets that my dad and I
have been wearing since I began this journey, to listening to a song with words changed just for me (thank you, Ewato. I loved
it and couldn’t stop crying). I totally feel like I’m bragging when I say I have the best family ever. But I really do. They are an
amazing group of people, and no matter how loud we are or how much soap-opera-type drama we have, we are, and always
will be, a family; one that supports each other no matter what. They have been there for me since the first day I was diagnosed
and I honestly can’t thank them enough. I only hope that I can be there for them just as they have been there for me.
This mass, though, was bittersweet. The same day that my mass was held was the same day that one of my great uncles, Fergie,
passed away. He had been fighting for his life for a bit now and it was an extremely difficult time. I, at first, didn’t want to
continue with the mass once we heard the news but my mom told me something that changed my mind. She explained to me
that before his passing, Fergie would not have been able to be with us at this mass and now he is able to sit here with all of us,
celebrating my remission. We decided to continue on with the mass, not only to celebrate my remission but to celebrate the
wonderful life that Fergie had. He was an amazing man who captured everybody’s heart. My fondest memories of Fergie are
when I was younger and would loose a tooth- Fergie was known as the great uncle who would give you a dollar every time
you lost a tooth. I remember the excitement every time I lost a tooth, calling up Fergie to tell him I lost it and how he would
present me with a dollar once I saw him. I love you, Fergie, and miss you so much.
Megan’s Angel Wings has had some really great experiences and changes since I last wrote, too. Last summer, we granted our
first wish! We took a 13 year old battling cancer, Mandy, and her mom to a Jonas Brothers concert. We picked her and her mom
up in a limo and drove her to West Palm Beach, FL where the concert was held. We were fortunate enough to get her third row
concert tickets as well as meet-and-greet passes to meet the Jonas Brothers. She had an amazing time and it was such a great
feeling to fulfill a wish of hers (you can see pictures of this great experience under the “news and events” tab). I hope and pray
that we can continue fulfilling wishes of these special children.
This past semester in school I was in an Ethical Issues class that really helped me think about myself and my morals. (If you
have a chance to take a class like that, it is well worth it!) I learned so much about myself and, not only that, but my entire class
got involved with Megan’s Angel Wings. The whole class separated into groups of 8 and each group was in charge of one care
package for a cancer patient. They decorated the boxes, filled them up with toys, and even wrote special cards for the children.
It really was a great experience and I was so grateful for having a class full of loving and giving students. They all were so
involved in the project and I’m sure they made a difference in those cancer patients’ lives. This class did such an amazing thing
that I felt it was important to share with all of you. I think this just goes to show how a group of people, no matter the age, can
make a big difference in someone else’s life. Some of the students from that class have even volunteered for Megan’s Angel
Wings outside of that one project. I was truly blessed to have had such an amazing class and a great teacher who was willing to
let us do this project for a class grade (everyone received an “A,” of course =)).
Whew! That was a long one- but I just had to update all of you on what was going on!
God Bless,
Megan
It’s crazy how time flies, isn’t it? One second you’re hanging out with friends in the playground playing tag and the next second
you’re at a job, making money, and paying bills. It’s kind of scary, you know? Thinking about it, though, makes me want to
appreciate life more; which is something we should all do. Pretty soon, life is going to pass us by and these moments will
change. Life can’t stay just as it is now: for me, that includes continuing to live at home, having a little sister and brother who
are actually little, etc. I know it’s not possible for life to stay the same (at least in the near future), but it just makes me
appreciate these moments more, knowing that all of that will eventually change. Thinking about how quickly life goes by also
makes me wonder why people don’t follow their dreams. We have a certain amount of time here on earth to fulfill every single
one of our dreams…why not go for it? Why just stick with a job that may pay a lot but is not something you are interested in?
Why settle for anything but exactly what you want out of life? Sure, there are always setbacks in reaching your dreams, but
shouldn’t that make you want to work harder? People may tell you your dream isn’t possible or not worth your time…but
what do they know? It’s not their dream and, besides, with God ALL things are possible no matter how impossible they might
seem. I was talking with someone the other day and we were talking about our future career plans. I mentioned that I wanted to
be a director of TV or movies. The first thing that this person told me was, “that’s really fun but it’s really hard to get into.”
Now picture the same scenario, but with a different person. I was talking with another person about the future, and he asked
me what I want to do with the rest of my life, so I mentioned the whole directing thing. As soon as I said that, he pointed his
finger at me and said, “you’re totally going to do that! You’re going to make it!” It’s funny how people have different reactions
to other peoples’ dreams. After talking with the second person, I was completely uplifted and wanted to keep talking to him,
knowing that he believed in me just as I believe in myself. The first person, though, left me feeling frustrated. What is the point
of telling someone that what they want to do is really hard to get into? To give them the reality of their dream? But that’s not
reality to me; I believe in the supernatural- I have God by my side, so how can I go wrong? The first person obviously didn’t
discourage me away from directing, it just made me frustrated that someone had to tell someone else that their dream is not
possible or “really hard.” I know this is totally lame, but every day before I leave the house and everyday before I go to bed, I
look in the mirror and I tell myself that I’m going to be a great director, a great mother, and a great wife. I stand there and tell
myself that I’m going to fulfill every dream and wish that is in my heart. And I don’t just say that I’m going to fulfill them; I say
I’m going to fulfill them greatly and in the best possible way. I believe that the more I say it and the more I give myself that
positive energy, the more I will believe it, the more my dreams will come true, and the more I will work to make them come
true. I believe that every dream in our hearts is not insignificant. I feel that we don’t have these dreams just to have them. God
has planted these in our hearts and has given us the proper tools to act upon it. It’s our responsibility, though, to do just that.
To often people let their dreams slide past them, and I refuse to be one of those people. So I will continue to stand in front of
the mirror and tell myself that I will be the best me there could ever be and all of my dreams will come true, knowing that I
have what it takes to do just that. After all, life IS passing by quickly and we should take complete advantage of what God has
given us before it is too late.
“Don’t let anybody tell you how hard it is; just do it.” – Nia Vardalos
Love,
Megan
P.S. - Megan’s Angel Wings just had their first ever yard sale fundraiser. It went absolutely amazing!! We were able to raise a
great amount of money; money that is going to go directly to the kids currently fighting cancer. Thank you sooooo much to
everyone who donated items for our yard sale and thanks to the Lenio family for cooking up some delicious hot dogs (they
were so good!) at the yard sale for donations. All of your generosity is greatly appreciated! Thank you to everyone who came
out and bought some items, and even though I am completely sun burnt from standing out there in the sun, I am so happy that
the event turned out so well and we were able to raise a lot of money. THANK YOU!
you’re at a job, making money, and paying bills. It’s kind of scary, you know? Thinking about it, though, makes me want to
appreciate life more; which is something we should all do. Pretty soon, life is going to pass us by and these moments will
change. Life can’t stay just as it is now: for me, that includes continuing to live at home, having a little sister and brother who
are actually little, etc. I know it’s not possible for life to stay the same (at least in the near future), but it just makes me
appreciate these moments more, knowing that all of that will eventually change. Thinking about how quickly life goes by also
makes me wonder why people don’t follow their dreams. We have a certain amount of time here on earth to fulfill every single
one of our dreams…why not go for it? Why just stick with a job that may pay a lot but is not something you are interested in?
Why settle for anything but exactly what you want out of life? Sure, there are always setbacks in reaching your dreams, but
shouldn’t that make you want to work harder? People may tell you your dream isn’t possible or not worth your time…but
what do they know? It’s not their dream and, besides, with God ALL things are possible no matter how impossible they might
seem. I was talking with someone the other day and we were talking about our future career plans. I mentioned that I wanted to
be a director of TV or movies. The first thing that this person told me was, “that’s really fun but it’s really hard to get into.”
Now picture the same scenario, but with a different person. I was talking with another person about the future, and he asked
me what I want to do with the rest of my life, so I mentioned the whole directing thing. As soon as I said that, he pointed his
finger at me and said, “you’re totally going to do that! You’re going to make it!” It’s funny how people have different reactions
to other peoples’ dreams. After talking with the second person, I was completely uplifted and wanted to keep talking to him,
knowing that he believed in me just as I believe in myself. The first person, though, left me feeling frustrated. What is the point
of telling someone that what they want to do is really hard to get into? To give them the reality of their dream? But that’s not
reality to me; I believe in the supernatural- I have God by my side, so how can I go wrong? The first person obviously didn’t
discourage me away from directing, it just made me frustrated that someone had to tell someone else that their dream is not
possible or “really hard.” I know this is totally lame, but every day before I leave the house and everyday before I go to bed, I
look in the mirror and I tell myself that I’m going to be a great director, a great mother, and a great wife. I stand there and tell
myself that I’m going to fulfill every dream and wish that is in my heart. And I don’t just say that I’m going to fulfill them; I say
I’m going to fulfill them greatly and in the best possible way. I believe that the more I say it and the more I give myself that
positive energy, the more I will believe it, the more my dreams will come true, and the more I will work to make them come
true. I believe that every dream in our hearts is not insignificant. I feel that we don’t have these dreams just to have them. God
has planted these in our hearts and has given us the proper tools to act upon it. It’s our responsibility, though, to do just that.
To often people let their dreams slide past them, and I refuse to be one of those people. So I will continue to stand in front of
the mirror and tell myself that I will be the best me there could ever be and all of my dreams will come true, knowing that I
have what it takes to do just that. After all, life IS passing by quickly and we should take complete advantage of what God has
given us before it is too late.
“Don’t let anybody tell you how hard it is; just do it.” – Nia Vardalos
Love,
Megan
P.S. - Megan’s Angel Wings just had their first ever yard sale fundraiser. It went absolutely amazing!! We were able to raise a
great amount of money; money that is going to go directly to the kids currently fighting cancer. Thank you sooooo much to
everyone who donated items for our yard sale and thanks to the Lenio family for cooking up some delicious hot dogs (they
were so good!) at the yard sale for donations. All of your generosity is greatly appreciated! Thank you to everyone who came
out and bought some items, and even though I am completely sun burnt from standing out there in the sun, I am so happy that
the event turned out so well and we were able to raise a lot of money. THANK YOU!
| Tuesday, August 11, 2009 |
I have a pretty large family. My mom is the youngest of nine children and our family grows tremendously from there. But in
terms of my immediate family, there is just my dad, my mom, me, my brother, and my sister. Recently, though, my immediate
family has grown to include some of the most loving, caring, and happy people I have ever met. For one of my classes in
college, I had to work on a project with adults with developmental disabilities. These adults captured my heart from the
moment I walked in to see them and since then, they've been like a second family to me. For the class project, my group and I
decided to take these adults from LARC (a non-profit organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities-
www.LARCleecounty.org) on a field trip to the zoo. We thought that it would be best to get to know these special individuals
before we took them to the zoo so we decided to decorate picture frames and t-shirts with them. We all then wore our matching
t-shirts to the zoo. It was such a great experience; they are such a happy group of people. I, at first, was a bit intimidated simply
because I didn't know what to expect. From the moment I walked in to the door, they welcomed my group and I with open
arms and such love, that you couldn't help but feel so welcome. They were so excited to hang out with us and we were so
excited, too. After doing all of the arts-and-crafts with them, we spent most of the time singing and dancing. They LOVE to
dance. If they could dance all day, they would. The trip to the zoo was just as memorable. They had so much fun seeing all of
the animals and they loved watching the animal show. I actually created a video of this experience that I presented to my class
at the end of the semester. The link to the video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahf1TiVfB7M
You can see by the video how much fun I, and everyone else, had. It was for a class project, but it became more than just a
project and a grade. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. I made so many new friends and I had one of the best times
that I've ever had. I hope to continue to have these amazing individuals as a big part of my life. My family and I have actually
continued spending time with all of them. The other day they invited us over so they could sing for us. They put on a little
concert for us, singing patriotic and Christmas songs. We then spent the rest of the time hanging out with them, dancing and
eating. It was so much fun and I'm so glad that my family was able to join me. Every time I walk in to see them, I can't help but
smile. I would be perfectly content spending the majority of my time in the LARC facility, just singing and dancing with them. I
included some pictures below of my family and I during this Christmas party. They are all absolutely amazing and adorable, I
can't wait to go back and see them.
Oh and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Love,
Megan
terms of my immediate family, there is just my dad, my mom, me, my brother, and my sister. Recently, though, my immediate
family has grown to include some of the most loving, caring, and happy people I have ever met. For one of my classes in
college, I had to work on a project with adults with developmental disabilities. These adults captured my heart from the
moment I walked in to see them and since then, they've been like a second family to me. For the class project, my group and I
decided to take these adults from LARC (a non-profit organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities-
www.LARCleecounty.org) on a field trip to the zoo. We thought that it would be best to get to know these special individuals
before we took them to the zoo so we decided to decorate picture frames and t-shirts with them. We all then wore our matching
t-shirts to the zoo. It was such a great experience; they are such a happy group of people. I, at first, was a bit intimidated simply
because I didn't know what to expect. From the moment I walked in to the door, they welcomed my group and I with open
arms and such love, that you couldn't help but feel so welcome. They were so excited to hang out with us and we were so
excited, too. After doing all of the arts-and-crafts with them, we spent most of the time singing and dancing. They LOVE to
dance. If they could dance all day, they would. The trip to the zoo was just as memorable. They had so much fun seeing all of
the animals and they loved watching the animal show. I actually created a video of this experience that I presented to my class
at the end of the semester. The link to the video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahf1TiVfB7M
You can see by the video how much fun I, and everyone else, had. It was for a class project, but it became more than just a
project and a grade. It was an experience that I will cherish forever. I made so many new friends and I had one of the best times
that I've ever had. I hope to continue to have these amazing individuals as a big part of my life. My family and I have actually
continued spending time with all of them. The other day they invited us over so they could sing for us. They put on a little
concert for us, singing patriotic and Christmas songs. We then spent the rest of the time hanging out with them, dancing and
eating. It was so much fun and I'm so glad that my family was able to join me. Every time I walk in to see them, I can't help but
smile. I would be perfectly content spending the majority of my time in the LARC facility, just singing and dancing with them. I
included some pictures below of my family and I during this Christmas party. They are all absolutely amazing and adorable, I
can't wait to go back and see them.
Oh and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Love,
Megan
| Thursday, December 31, 2009 |
We gave each individual
a few little presents,
including the glasses that
have a nose attached to
them. As you can see
from some of the pictures,
they absolutely loved
them and enjoyed getting
their pictures taken with
the funny glasses :)
a few little presents,
including the glasses that
have a nose attached to
them. As you can see
from some of the pictures,
they absolutely loved
them and enjoyed getting
their pictures taken with
the funny glasses :)