Pass it on.

Okay bloggers, yes i've been waiting nineteen years to say that, I am about to go on a little teeny tiny rant. Although I am not nearly perfect and still a nineteen year old girl, I pride myself on being a pretty positive person. That may be why it KILLS me to listen to people complaining over the stupidest things. I mean think about it..how many times a day do you hear things like.."My phone is being so stupid!" or "I've been waiting at the doctor for an hour now and everyone who got here after me has been seen."

COME ON. I think it should be a rule that everyone has to at least witness someone who doesn't have their health or is in a bad situation. I am not saying that I wish that on ANYONE, but everyone should have to visit a hospital or homeless shelter or something just to see how great we all have it. I say we because I don't even think that in my current situation I have it very bad.

In the past two years I have witnessed an unfair amount of children and adults who have not been able to fight their disease and beat their cancer. Lately it seems like more and more of the people I have fought alongside have had a bad turn of events in their treatment or passed away.

This has made me want to spread a message that I feel we all forget sometimes. So here it goes. I challenge each and every person who reads this blog to think about what I am about to say before you go to bed tonight. Write it down, leave a note in your wallet for when you're having a bad day, write it on your mirror so you see it when you wake up..most importantly, pass it on. Post this blog to your facebook and share it with your friends.After you've done any of these things, leave a comment below saying, "I promise to give thanks". This could really be a movement. People need a little spread of positivity in their lives. I just strongly believe that this is something people need to hear.

No matter how hard things are for you...
Here are a few things to remember:
You have food in your belly and a roof over your head.
You are witnessing God's creations every day.
You woke up this morning.
You are beautifully and wonderfully made and you are loved.
You have your health and you are alive.

While not all of these may apply to all of you, some of them will. It is important that people start to count their blessings and not dwell on the bad things in your life no matter how large they seem.

There are billions of people in this world. No matter how bad you think you have it, someone else has it worse. So please, stop complaining so much. When you wake up every morning and before you go to bed at night, be sure to think about these things and say thank you.

I'd also like to quickly add in that Angels in Action is holding a golf tournament at Hearthstone Country Club in honor of Paul Petropolis. I had the honor of visiting Mr. Petropolis at home tonight and he was laughing and joking and still in good spirits. He is an amazing man and has done a lot for my family. This years golf tournament will cover any bills he will leave behind to his family after his passing and the coming years will benefit the Angels in Action ministry. The tournament will be held on May 14th, 2012. If you have any questions or would like more information on forming a team or volunteering, please contact me in comments below.

Update :)

So I realize it has been a while since I last posted. Honestly, I can't even remember all that i've done since then..oh yeah, except for that whole going to the hospital part. I was sick over Spring Break and in the hospital almost the entire time. Not really how I was hoping to spend my weekend, but it was actually kind of great. It really got me thinking more and more about this plan I had to start some kind of cancer teenage support group.

I've always said that I was given this disease twice for a reason, and I think I may have finally figured out what that reason is. I am going to hopefully meet up with some doctors who have gotten on board with me, the tech people who run the TCH website, and a few other older patients willing to help me out, and begin the process of starting my own teenage support group. There are always questions that run through a cancer patient's head that other people just don't think about. For example, I had a girl ask me recently what it feels like when your hair grows back. Not emotionally, but physically. I'll bet a bunch of you don't know that it actually stings or hurts when your hair begins to break skin. I actually sat on my bed with a bag of ice on my head to try to numb it. Crazy huh? I just think that there are so many questions like that and they can only be answered by people who have gone through the same thing.

I am hoping to start the group online and run it through TCH so only patients will be able to be a part of it. I want it to be a safe place for patients to go and talk about anything and everything. This project has kind of become my baby and I really hope that it booms the way I hope for it to. I will definitely keep everyone updated on the progress we make.

Other than that, I have been busting my booty trying to get into UT. Unfortunately, I cannot find out if I got in or not until after I finish my 30 hours at Lone Star. I am chomping at the bit to find out! It is definitely a test of my patience! I currently have a 3.9, but I still have finals so we'll see.

I really enjoy writing and hope to write a lot more in this blog, but honestly I am having a little bit of writers block at the moment. So leave a comment below and let me know what you want to know! I can be extremely deep and talk about the world's problems, or I can tell you what nail polish colors are my favorites. That might be a little extreme, but seriously..leave me a comment and let me know.

XOXO
Devin Duncan