Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The “Inspiration” for my Blog Name



If I had to think of someone in my life that has had the biggest impact, the first person that comes to my mind would be my Aunt Nan. Her smile radiated across the room. She was always so positive, no matter how sick she was and tried  her best to live each & every day to the fullest. She always lived life with the philosophy that "life was a gift" and chose each & every day to be Happy!

My Aunt Nan had Cystic Fibrosis, her entire life she dealt with doctors, treatments, meds, etc. But she NEVER let that stop her from loving life. She loved to snow ski, water ski, snowmobile, ride her own Harley, water ski, play volleyball league and travel the world. Nan was an amazing artist and loved spending time with her cats! She did more things in her short life, than most do in their entire lives.

Nan passed away just a few days after Thanksgiving in 2011, at the young age of 43. She knew it was her one last chance to spend the holiday with her family. She fought a long, hard battle with courage & strength the entire way. 

I am so blessed to have known her for the almost 30 years that I did. She will forever hold a very important spot in my heart. I miss her every single day. I am healthy and need to remember to live that same way.

We still talk about “Spread the Nan”. This was something her friends & family made up after she passed, talking about her smile & constant positivity no matter how poor she felt. My goal is to show the world that no matter how sick you are or what is going on in your life, you can continue to be positive and enjoy life!  Thank you Nan for the love that you showed us, I will never forget you!

 
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation provides lifesaving research and develops medications that greatly prolong and improve the quality of life for people living with this genetic disease. In the late 80’s the average life expectancy was 28 years. Today it is 38. Nancy lived to 43 and with your help, C.F. could stand for “Cure Found” in the foreseeable future.Your contribution helps by adding “tomorrows every day” for people living with Cystic Fibrosis and is 100% tax deductible with $0.90 out of every dollar going directly towards research

GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest and most successful national fundraising event. This year, I'm walking in the GREAT STRIDES walk at the Eau Claire walk on May 17, 2014. Please feel free to donate. Your generous gift will be used efficiently and effectively, as nearly 90 cents of every dollar of revenue raised is available for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation and GREAT STRIDES!   Visit Becky's GREAT STRIDES Home Page at  http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/BeckyBrunner5894

Remember that "Life is a gift. If you do not value your gift, nobody else will!" 

Choose Happy- Instagramy second reason for choosing my blog name came after seeing a bracelet on Instagram that said Choose Happy; I instantly ordered one and decided that was my new MANTRA.
  
Thanks for reading!  Feel free to follow my blog by clicking on the right hand side, where it says Follow By Email! You will receive emails every time a new post is on my blog!

Choose Happy
~Becky

1 comment :

  1. What a beautiful post and a great way to honor your aunt! I've been doing the Great Strides walk for years and love how high of a donation they give to the cause, it truly is an amazing organization!

    ReplyDelete

09 10