Progress

I am fully checked in for the quickly approaching Breast Cancer Three Day (www.the3day.org) and have my hotel room reserved at the Paradise Point Hotel and Spa (www.paradisepoint.com). It's right around the corner from the campground and I never would have thought to stay there. Just for giggles, I checked the government rates and THEY ARE THE SHIZNIT!! The only down side is the $22 bucks a night parking fee. Other than that, ther government rate is cheaper than the Holiday Inn.

Thanks to David who donated for the 3 Day! And it's not too late to donate. :-)

I was thinking today about my Cousin Thayer, and how she shaped so much of the way I feel about myself. She's actually my mother's cousin, but we've just always called her Cousin Thayer (and we always called her mom Auntie, though she was my mother's aunt). Cousin Thayer's family lived about 60 miles from where I grew up, and we spent every holiday at her home.

I'm convinced that Cousin Thayer actually converses with God. More than that, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if God talked to Cousin Thayer about his problems because somehow doing so is a sweet release in and of itself, mostly because she really LISTENS. But that's beside the point.

Anyway, every holiday we would travel to Cousin Thayer's, and every holiday we would attend their family's church, St. Michael's Espiscopal. One of my earliest memories is standing next to Cousin Thayer in the pew and being amazed at her incredibly loud, tuneless, off-key, and nasal singing voice. I had never heard anything like it, Still haven't. Her single voice could drown out an entire congregation, and St. Michael's is a HUGE church. It was easy to distinguish the visitors to the church because they would turn their heads slightly, trying to see who was making that infernal racket without being rude. Others had obvious looks of incredulousness on their faces and could be seen nudging their neighbors in disbelief. In later years (those awkward pre-adolescent years in which self-awareness translates to being embarrassed about EVERYTHING), I would cringe when it was time to sing because I was mortified to be standing next to Cousin Thayer and her powerful but rather frightening vocalizations.

But later, I admired her. Still do. And on the very rare occasions that I am now able to accompany her to church, I too sing at the top of my lungs and refuse to care if I'm out of my range, cracking, or off-key. Because we know that God doesn't care how we sound. We know that God expects us to do the very best we can with the gifts that we've been given. We know that God hears our joyous noise and revels in the enthusiasm of it. I know this because she knows God and God knows her and they are BFF.

Cousin Thayer's singing has been an inspiration to me, for she taught me that everything - every single thing - I do deserves the utmost effort, the utmost attention, and the utmost gratitude. Every little moment in life should be a moment of thankfulness and praise.