Celebrating Anna-Lee and a Restful Memorial Day Weekend

May has certainly been a very busy month at our home, and Friday night we celebrated Anna-Lee’s high school graduation - which in our family means a multiple day celebration.  What a wonderful young woman she is and how proud we all are for her.  Anna-Lee graduated with a 3.96 GPA and is more than prepared and ready to hit the Razorback Hill Country come August.  She has been accepted into the U of A’s Fulbright College and plans to major in International Relations with a minor in Spanish.  Goodness knows she is already very well traveled, and has probably been to almost half of the South American countries on various mission trips and projects.  I’m looking very forward to watching this beautiful woman save the world sometime soon. 

While Anna-Lee's high school resume is impressive, her volunteer accomplishments are true testaments to her leadership abilities and compassion for others.  College admission officers surely gave her high points for leadership positions such as President of the Little Rock Mayor's Youth Council, graduate of the Sister Cities Youth Leadership program and Representative to the United Methodist Conference District Council on Youth Ministries.  But what sets Anna-Lee apart from so many others are the works she has done that are not included on a resume or college application.  Since 9th grade, she has been a voracious volunteer in our community with all projects that that support the homeless - working the breakfast trailer behind City Hall each Tuesday, serving meals at the Compassion Center, volunteering at Watershed Human & Community Development Center, and heading up a blanket drive for the homeless, which she delivered to those on the streets Christmas Day.  She will complete her summer with her fifth mission trip to South America volunteering in an orphanage, photos that have captured my heart for many years now.  Whether is Boo at the Zoo, Komen Race for the Cure or the Pulaski County Young Democrats, if there is a need you can find Anna-Lee there ready to assist.  It doesn't surprise me in the least that she's already focused on possible volunteer work in her new community of Fayetteville.  While celebrating my Anna-Lee this weekend, I'm reminded of how good life can be when you share your heart with someone else.  It has been my pleasure and honor to watch this darling girl grow-up the past 18 years.  While I will miss her terribly come August, I'm confident that life will be good to Anna-Lee as she continues to give back to God's world.  

I hope your Memorial Day weekend has been as happy and restful as mine.  Last night Tim and I enjoyed dinner with friends, Richard and Sheila, Jim and Elise.  Today Mom and I will enjoy taking a cooking class together at Williams-Sonoma, and later a Memorial Day party at Cissy and Steve's home.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I've made a new commitment to do at least one thing fun each day - no more focusing exclusively on the many things on my TO DO list.  

One thing that will be enjoyable this coming week - Wednesday will be chemo treatment #7, meaning ONLY ONE MORE CHEMO TREATMENT left before surgery in July.  We continue to make progress eradicating The Beast we call Cancer.