Gratitude

I received one of the best e-mails of the year this afternoon from Lea Morrison, a web friend we admire from afar. Fewer people are more inspirational than Lea, who is nearly one year post transplant. Wonderful news, Lea!

Lea advocates, communicates honestly and freely, and beams with "gratitude, hope and love," as she ended her CaringBridge post today. Her positive outlook and update included a link to a New York Times story about a German man who donated his bone marrow to a young business executive in Texas who had leukemia. I won't ruin the story, which captures man's gratitude and love for his fellow man. Read on, good friends.

As I read this wonderful story, I thought about "Hans," Dori's 24-year-old donor. As most of you know, we won't get to meet Hans contingent on his willingness to meet her and until Dori reaches two years post transplant. I thought today about the 11 million people on the NMDP registry and how important it is for more people between 18-60 to join them. Spread the word, folks. It's easy to register and your life may wind up being as fulfilling as Klaus Kaiser, the selfless German bicycle repairman below on the left who saved James Chippendale's life.



I didn't run this weekend, but took Pepper Saturday morning to wish some Team in Training friends well on their last training run. They were running an easy six in chilly temps before next weekend's big race in San Antonio. Good luck, ladies, and thank you for the fundraising for LLS! I ran a moderately paced five miler tonight after work in the dark. I loved the 27 degree dewpoint and temperature in the high 40s. Wasn't the dewpoint in the low 70s a few months ago? That's change I can believe in.

Dinner was even better. Dori made a wonderful wheat pasta with crushed tomatoes, EVOO, oregano, chick peas and shredded parm. Today was a great food day, in fact. A Trader Joe's opened near us a few days ago, and I have some new favorites foods, including McCann's Irish Oatmeal and dried blueberries. The McCann's was so much smoother and better tasting than the other store brands I'm used to, reminding me of my switch from mass produced American beer to microbrews.

Cheers to Trader Joe's for its affordable, healthy food offerings.

Cheers to Klaus Kaiser for his compassion and James Chippendale for his unending gratitude.

And cheers to Lea Morrison for being a courageous advocate who inspires so many.