Why I won't change my Facebook profile picture to Sarah Watkin

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Sarah Watkin, 7 years old, lost her battle with cancer. Her story was chronicled in the local and national papers. Her family set up a Facebook page to help push their agenda of getting people to register with OneMatch.ca. It's really easy. It's four swabs of the insides of your cheeks. They tried to find a match for their daughter, but were unsuccessful. They have, at least, saved four more lives that they know of.

I am heartbroken for their loss. No parent should outlive their child. But the Watkins gave their daughter a lifetime of living in the past few months of this summer.  Sarah got to do things most kids don't even think about. And she got to do things kids dream of. 

But I won't change my profile picture to Sarah's beautiful face. I didn't know Sarah and I don't know her family. I can empathize with them. I can't imagine the pain they are going through having lost their oldest child and first daughter. 

I feel that it's not right for me, someone who has never met the family, to put their daughter's photo as my profile picture. I mourn for them, for their loss, but since the Watkins aren't even a passing acquaintance, I can't justify putting their beautiful daughter's picture as my profile picture.  I will carry her picture in my heart, and I will smile at the pictures my friends have changed their profile pictures to, of Sarah's smiling face  wearing a grey toque with sparkles. But I won't  make the change. Sarah was far too special.  Her memory is far too special. 

NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo

Normally I only participate in National Novel Writing Month, but this year I'm going to try my hand at National Blog Posting Month, too. 

Thirty posts in 30 days and 50,000 words in 30 days. Should be interesting 

So... Here goes. 

Yesterday was halloween. One of Banana and Squish's favourite holidays. How can you not love a holiday where you get tons of candy. For free. 

It's interesting to see how my girls' cistes have changed over the years. Gone are the days of princesses.  

Their first year, the girls were only 3 months old.  I certainly wasn't taking them trick or treating and I wasn't buying costumes. But Old Navy was selling the cute little fleece hats. So I bought a ghost hat and a pumpkin too. I had a white sleeper and an orange onesie with green pants. It was an unseasonably warm Halloween that year, so I sat outside with the girls in their stroller and bucket seats in sweat pants and a t-shirt, them in their  "costumes" with no need for a jacket. This year Banana went as a bag of jelly beans, Squish went as Katniss from The Hunger Games. 

Goodness was it cold. And wet. The last three Halloweens were wet and rainy. This year seemed worse for some reason. My pants got soaked and they soaked my Converse shoes. I was walking in puddles. In my shoes. My friend and I, who had been going along with the girls, decided that we would let them continue on their own. At 10 and 11, the rain didn't bother them as much. 

By the time we went to bed, it was SNOWING!!  Honest to goodness SNOWING. Interestingly, it was the first snowfall. The last few years, the snow h came at least once in October. It never stays, because the ground hasn't frozen yet, but it won't be long before we are covered in a white duvet. I just hope we don't have another ice storm. 

Enjoy some pictures from last night