What Does It Mean to Live?

Phyllis and I met 2 years ago this month! Can you believe it?! She is doing well and she just got back from a trip to Hawaii with her family. Traveling and spending time with the ones you care about most are what I envisioned for her back before I knew her. When I first learned I was going to donate, my hope was that by me donating, someone would have a second chance at life. And when I think about life and living, that's what I dream about... traveling, exploring the world while being with the ones I hold nearest and dearest to me. Everyone has different ideas of living, but when it comes down to it, we are all human and we all want the same thing - love.

You often hear people ask, if you found out you only had X number of days to live, what would you do? So what would you do? Make the most of today and of every day. Put down your phones and live in the moment. Be present. You'll never remember the best day of technology you ever had but you'll make memories that will last a lifetime and when you're taking your last breath, you'll know that you truly lived.

Happy Friday!

Dreams

It's that time again... time for an update: 

Phyllis is doing well and in fact, just had a birthday! It just so happens that my fiancee and I got engaged on her birthday a couple years ago (before we even knew her! - Crazy, right?!)

She and I speak regularly, maybe 2-3 times per week. We both wish we lived closer but sometimes life and circumstances just get in the way. Hopefully we will be able to see each other sometime this year? Personally, I think Americans work too hard and don't get enough vacation days :p I'd be fine taking a month or two without pay so I could travel. Ahh, I'll keep dreaming. :)

Serenity

Update

I can't believe it's been just shy of a year since the last time I have posted!

Phyllis is doing wonderful and we talk regularly. I flew out to see her in June I think it was? Then I took a trip across country this past summer and made a stop along the way to see her. We live so far apart but we were lucky enough to have several opportunities to meet up. 

She has had some minor graft vs host type complications but from what I've been told, it's a fairly common thing. Yay for being healthy :)

More Letters!

A couple days ago, I received an email from Lee with a letter attached from my recipients sister. It was such a beautiful letter... she told me how beautiful her sister is, inside and out and how her sister is such an amazing person full of love, laughter, generosity and strength - pretty much exactly how I pictured her.

It warms my heart when I hear from them. :)

Wonderful News!

A little over a week ago I received a letter from my recipient saying that she's doing really well. She was released from the transplant facility before day 100 and actually could have gone home sooner than she did but her family was sick so they didn't want to risk it. She also said she was looking forward to meeting me and being able to hug me and thank me in person.

As everyone can imagine, I was so excited to get this letter - it truly means the world to me and I'm eagerly counting down until the 1 year mark in November :)

Connections

My recipient had been on my mind all night Saturday night. I sometimes wonder why she weighs so heavily on me at times and then think that maybe it's because she's thinking of me too and our thoughts are connecting. Days will pass and life gets busy and the donation doesn't even cross my mind but then some days I can't think of anything else and I'm amazed all over again at how blessed I am to have been able to be part of such an awesome thing. I wonder about her often and I wish I knew how she was doing. I haven't received an update so I'm going to assume that no news is good news.

Do something amazing today :)

Precious Time

Time has so quickly escaped me. I've been experiencing my own personal struggles lately and have let the stress of life grab ahold of me and bring me down.

Unfortunately, I do not have any more updates on my recipient, but I did realize that it has been more than 100 days since the donation and those were the most critical days. I hope everything is going well for her and her family. I will post an update as soon as I get one.