Tag: I think it’s a good one

Let me tell you about my friend Amber

Amber is “me” at the other TV station in town. She was the Senior Producer (recently pomoted to Assistant News Director!). She’s a marathon runner, she’s around my age, and she’s a Nebraska girl. We are kindred spirits. Soul Sisters. She is a sweetheart and I adore her.

Amber and her twin sister have been dealt a huge blow this summer. Her beloved mother, (a marathon runner and coach too) died of ovarian cancer in June. As she was dealing with the shock and grief of losing her mother…and preparing for her father to move into her newly purchased house, the unthinkable happened: her father (who has a chronic condition) fell ill. Suddenly, Amber and her sister were facing the unthinkable: putting their father on hospice. He passed away only days later.

I read this news on Facebook and my heart broke for her. To be this young (she’s in her late 20’s) and lose BOTH your parents only a month apart? I don’t know that I could come back from that heartbreak, that grief.

I saw Amber for the first time in awhile last night. I was at the Nebraska Broadcasting Association Awards. She looked good. When we got to chat for a minute all I could do was hug her, trying to take away some of the heartbreak she has. She told me you just have to pick yourself up and keep going. There’s no other option. Her parents would have wanted it that way.

Amber, I know you’re reading this. Know I’m here for you and that I love you. I’m here as a shoulder to lean on. You don’t have to be strong every minute of the day.

That’s what friends are for.

The Summer of Melissa

Summer starts on Friday. As the solstice draws near I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my life. Running, dating, weight-loss, relationships, my finances, things like that. And I’ve made a BIG decision.

I’m declaring summer 2013 as The Summer of Melissa. I’m going to work on me. (Not that I haven’t been doing that for the past few years!) but I’m working on things that don’t just involve weight-loss. I’m going to be busy and don’t have time to waste.

Last week I started by getting my financial house in order. I’ve managed to rack up some decent credit card debt, so I applied for and got a personal loan! I’m paying off 2 of my credit cards, and have only a little bit left to pay off. I feel such a sense of relief and like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The plan is to pay off my other card by the end of the year. That’s where my second job comes in. I’m working there as much as I can during the week to make extra cash. Every little bit helps, right?

Secondly, I’m taking a self-imposed dating break. I’m tired of stressing about it, I’m tired of worrying about things that I can’t control. It’s stressful and I need to just take a step back and re-evaluate. I went out with the friend of a friend that I met on Match 2 weeks ago. We had our second date. Two days after that date I texted him and I never heard back. I took that as a sign that I need to step back and spend some time on myself. When the right one comes along I will know. I will be in a better place mentally, financially, physically and spiritually to be with him.

Thirdly, I’m changing up my workout routine. I’ve been running without doing much else for 4ish years now. I’m going to bike more, do yoga, and I’ve started lifting weights. I’m up 5 pounds and that’s unacceptable to me. I feel squishy. And I don’t like it. Time to get leaner, stronger and faster. And I need to remind myself that I don’t need dessert every night!

The way I see it, I have 90 days to make some big changes in my life. I want the next 3 months to be ones of growth and change. I will still be me, but Melissa v.2.0 🙂

Welcome to the Summer Of Melissa friends! 🙂