People Who Rock 2012, The Sequel.

A lot of people say to my wife and I "How do you do it?  How do you get through each day dealing with the kind of crap that you have had to deal with in your life?"   They are talking about the fact that in the past couple of years our life has been...well let's just say, less than a box of kittens.  Now, before you say "there are people that have it worse" let me just say this...No Kidding.  Of course there are people that have it worse off than us but the one thing that I have learned is that your problems are your own and no one can tell you that you shouldn't feel bad if you are going through a rough patch in your life.  I have had people complain to me about their life and then quickly say "I shouldn't complain because you guys have it worse."  To which I say "So what???"  Does that mean that you can't feel bad?  Does that mean no one should give you sympathy?  Does that mean that you are not worthy or deserving of hugs or well wishes?  The answer, of course, is a resounding NO!  We all have a right to bitch and moan when our lives take a turn for the crappy.  And we all appreciate it when others lend an ear and offer their sympathy and understanding. It is what you do from there that defines you.  You can choose to wallow in self pity or draw from the strength of friends, family and sometimes, complete strangers and realize that you can handle anything.

That is how we do it.  In the past couple of years we have had to deal with death, disease, joblessness, fear of not being able to pay the rent, fear of not being able to pay for health insurance as well as the thousand other challenges that face you every day of your life.  We learned that it is not a sign of weakness to accept help.  We learned that people are willing give their time, money and love and ask nothing in return. We also learned that, although we never feel like we are deserving of their generosity, we should accept it with our sincere and heartfelt appreciation.  I have learned that, although you think that the world is filled with bastard filled bastards covered in bastard frosting, there is actually more decent, caring and generous people that will give you the shirt off their back with a smile and a kind word than you could ever imagine in your wildest dreams.

So with that in mind let me get to this installment of .....(drum roll please)

PEOPLE WHO ROCK!!!!!!!!!

Let's start out with the lovely Melissa Holt who is someone I know through the Millis Theatre Group.  She and her whole family rocks

How about Shellie and Sam Goldman?  Shellie is proof that people with NF absolutely ROCK.  And I am sure that if Sam hangs around with Shellie he also rocks.

Then there is Katie Sawyer who I met just a few weeks ago and I could tell than that she rocked and now I have proof.

There is a guy that I used to work with at Gillette Stadium who has always had a kind word and has always supported my marathon runs through Facebook.  His name is Jesse Stearns and he rocks.

Another Theatre Group friend who rocks is Ed Quinlan Esq. (Don't let the fact that he is a lawyer make you think that he doe anything but rock)

I received a generous donation from a woman named Beverly Temple.  She wrote me a touching note about her cousin's son Tommy.  Tommy has NF and she made her donation in his name.  Is there anyone who will argue with me about the fact that Beverly, her cousin and Tommy all ROCK?

Barbara Kennedy works with my wife at Middlesex Savings Bank.  She rocks as does her husband Lawrence

I have a cousin on my wife's side of the family that, if anything ever happens to my wife (God forbid), is the only woman that I can marry.  Her name is Karen Wright and she has a husband named Jeff and they, along with their adorable kids Ben and Matt rock like there is no tomorrow.

We have some old friends that were formally from Millis named the Fischers and they all rock

My cousin Kim and her husband Bill both have rocked at every family reunion and I can proudly say they still do.

No list of people who rock would be complete without my mother-in-law Caryl.  She always rocks.

There is a guy that I used to work with in my old TJX days named Paul Inferrera.  He rocked back in the day.  Now I haven't heard from him in years but, sure enough, it turns out he still rocks.

One day I had to go into the town hall and pay my excise tax bill.  The woman that took my check gave me one in return and even though I spelled her name wrong on my donation page, she really rocks.  For the record her real name is Laurie Walker.

I have two friends for my old Oxford days named Pat and Erin Sibley.  I have known forever that they rocked and now you know it too.

This next person is someone that without whom I am not here and I am not the person that I am.  That person is my mother and you can bet she rocks.

Donna Cabibo is a lovely young woman that I consider a good friend.  She was nice enough to send my request for donations out to a lot of people in town and as a result I recieved donations from a number of people in town including Carolyn and Paul Neeson.  Anyone who sends money to someone they don't know obviously rocks...as do Jeane and Robert Burke.

Someone in town sent me a cash donation and simply wrote "Good luck in the race"  I don't know who that person is but what I do know is that they rock.

You know who else made a donation?  Molly Kane did and that qualifies her as someone who rocks.

When you are in school and it gets to be lunch time who is always there to get you some tasty vittles?  Why that would be the Lunch Ladies.  The rock at lunchtime and at every other time of the day as well.

While you are at Millis High School you might want to swing by the principals office and see Mr. Bob Mullaney.  He is a great principal and, as it turns out, rocks as hard as anyone.

Max had a special ed teacher named Julia Fredette and she has a husband named James Clark and they couldn't rock any harder.

Another one of Max's teachers is Bernadette Lindgren.  She has a husband named Michael and they both rock

Another great family in town are the Fogarty's and you guessed it, they all rock.

Yet another teacher form Millis has generously donated.  Her name is Sharon Monaghan and she and her whole family rocks.

Cheryl Skeats is a friend from a million years ago when a I was just a young schoolboy.  She rocked then and she and Chris Brunelli rock now.

I recently reached out to a business contact named Bryan Reinhart.  He works for a trucking company broker and he does, indeed, rock.

There is a teacher in the Clyde Brown elementary school named Amie Colcord and she rocks.

And finally a donation form a group of people came through this week that had me shaking my head in dis-belief.  Earlier this week my kids had came home from school and told me that Mr Alconada, one of the science teachers at the school was spearheading a fundraising effort at the school to support my Boston Marathon run.  When I saw the amount that was raised by the students faculty and staff at the school I was stunned.  Over $1,000 was raised and THAT, my friend, ROCKS.  Many many thanks to Mr. Alconada and the entire Millis School system.

The motto of the Millis Middle/High School is "Small School.  Big Family."  Those words have never been personified better.   I am humbled by their generosity and grateful for their kindness. They all ROCK!

As of right now I am just $14 short of my goal of $3,000.  I now know that my fundraising goal will be met.  Now I want to find out how much I can beat it by.  So if you haven't already, throw a couple of bucks in the kitty and lets see where we can get to with this thing.

Til next time...