Tuesday’s Tribute

Tuesday~February 10, 2009

If you’ve been reading my blog long, I’m sure you’re thinking that this post is about Tuesday Whitt. In a way this post is about that Tuesday, but mostly it’s a tribute to a couple of other people.

Every Tuesday over at Halftime Lessons and Dirty Socks and Pizza (for over a year now) it’s time to link up for Tuesday’s Tribute. A day to write about someone other than yourself, a tribute to the person (or place or thing) of your choice.

Jay of Halftime Lessons is the guy pictured in my sidebar on the left. On March 21st he’s shaving his head once again for St. Baldrick’s, an organization raising money for cancer research. That rocks the party. Go ahead and give that picture a clickety click and read more about Jay and his family, and how they’re doing their part to fight cancer. Scroll through the site and have a good laugh while you’re there. The posts are well-written and insightful, full of life and lessons, with humor spread throughout in just the right doses.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jay and Deb had the idea for Tuesday’s Tribute all those months ago, and now they too have been moved and changed by Tuesday Whitt’s story. So every time I take part in this weekly tribute to someone other than myself, I’ll do it in honor of Tuesday Whitt. It will be a weekly reminder that it’s not all about me. A reminder to think outside myself and work on what I can do for someone else.

I’ve been thinking about Melanie J. of Write Stuff a lot these days. She’s an excellent writer, and her blog is one of the best humor blogs on the web, in my opinion. (Melanie, is it okay that I just went ahead and put your blog in the humor category? If you don’t like it, you should probably stop being so funny and insightful and smart and…)

Melanie’s posts are so ridiculously good I find myself giddy with excitement when a new post pops up on my reader. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that. (Picture me giggling at my monitor, rocking back and forth, you wouldn’t be far off.)

The reason I write this short little tribute for Melanie J is because her strength astounds me. Her life has been unique to say the least. And sometimes it’s been really hard. Melanie experienced the loss of both of her parents far too young about a year apart. Her tributes to them on Write Stuff have been so sincere and moving, filled with joyful memories of two lives well lived. Melanie’s parents taught her how to live and love, and she’s doing an amazing job at both. So thank you, Melanie. Your story, your words, and your life uplift and inspire. (And you go on really cool dates with your husband.) (And you blog about the most random things, and I freaking LOVE that.)

(Aren’t tributes fun?)

For more tributes, visit Halftime Lessons.