can't...stop...watching...

health care

I'm not going to lie - I teared up when I heard that the health care bill had passed. Not because I'm a hippie or a liberal or think Obama is a rock star. I cried because I am glad that future families will not be torn apart by the things that mine was - things like "pre-existing conditions." My mom got sick when I was about 9 and I watched her fight tooth and nail to get understanding and coverage, only to be met with doctors saying she's crazy and fabricating her illness.

It's now called Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and it's general knowledge that breathing in things like pesticides and toxic mold will create big BIG health problems, that you should burn a house down if you find the kind of mold in there that my mom breathed in at work every day.

But, it wasn't that way a little over a decade ago.

She got dropped from her health insurance, and consequently, so did I. I was a CHIPS kid. I remember all the financial crap we had to wade through because of the heartless insurance companies.

I realize that there's someone at a desk at an insurance company somewhere, trying to think of a loophole as I type this, but I hope that the whole country can come to an understanding that SOMETHING needed to change. I've heard from people that our taxes will go up and standards of care will drop as a result. Because I work in a hospital that is, uh, a charity, I'm really okay with paying more money for more people to be covered by health insurance. I don't see how voting for the bill was not a compassionate, reasonable choice for the whole country.

I'm just hopeful, timidly relieved that families will not have to go through the anguish that mine did.

best. dinner. ever.

Overheard this evening:

Hey what do you want for dinner?

How about veggies and a salad?

Sweet. Go get some chard and some lettuce greens from the garden?

Perfect.

In other news, smoked paprika is probably the best thing that has ever been invented! If you've never tried it, go to the supermarket and stick your nose in some. It will change your life.

This past weekend was so fun - lots of running (a 5k Saturday and a 10k on Sunday) and friends and fun! What's awesome is that Spring has SPRUNG here - it's absolutely thrilling to be out in the sunshine, have longer days, enjoy the flowers exploding from their winter slumbers. It's downright intoxicating.

Super Fun Happy Friday!

This past week really made me appreciate the support that music gives to us, and those in need. Music and song is healing, it is expressive, it is a necessary part of the grieving process, just as whispered words of prayer.

I love that I get to use music and help people every day :)

In other news, this weekend K is turning 29! There are lots of friends coming into town and I'm excited to be running the Dash Down Greenville again, complete with tye-dye shirts and green tutus! Hooray!