The Specialness of 11-11

This day has taken off to a point where sometimes, it's almost hard to remember how and why it all started, but I would like to do my best to explain...

I've always been someone who would make a wish whenever the opportunity arose. Any time I walked by a fountain, I'd throw a penny in and make a wish, if I saw 11:11 on the clock, wishing like crazy on November 11th (11-11!), blowing out birthday candles, and most especially, shooting stars. I can tell you that the majority of the wishes I had growing up were always based on the fact that I wanted to fall in love and find my prince charming...(I can tell you now that it came true!)

We all have a journey that we follow in life and mine brought me to someone special named Rob. I was a teenager in high school working over the summer at Beach Bum Bagels in Lavallette and he used to come in all of the time while I was working. We got to know each other, kept in touch over the year, and then would spend time together again once I went back to the beach for the next summer. In the summer of 2001, we had a great time together and for the 1st time, I knew what love was. Unfortunately, shortly after I returned to school and only several days after September 11th, we found out that Rob had cancer. During the time we spent together over those months, we would make a wish every time the clock turned 11:11 that he would get his health back. I can vividly remember going with him and his family to the bay late one night because there was a meteor shower. The whole sky was filled with shooting stars and I wished as hard as I could that night...

On April 6th, 2002, Rob lost his fight with cancer. When something bad happens, you always want to have an answer why. Unfortunately, I don't have an answer why that happened, but I can tell you how my life was changed because of knowing Rob...

...I truly believe that the journey I have followed in life brought me to Rob for many reasons, but most especially, because during that short time, I learned what that kind of love was. Of course I had the love from family and friends, but as we all know, that kind is different.

...I truly believe that had I not taken that path in life, I would not have ended up where I am today with the most wonderful husband and baby whose love fill me completely. When Chris and I first met, Chris wanted to know my story because as he said "it was who I was". Chris had had his own experiences in life and love, all of which brought him to me...

Through Rob, I have had the privilege of getting to know his family, who have become a part of my family and for that I am grateful.

And because the number 11 took on so many meanings leading up to and during that time in my life, I take this day to say thank you to all of my stops on my journey...all of my friends and family who have supported me, loved me, and all been a part in making me who I am today.

...To My Family and Friends...(new and old!)
Thank you for all of the love and support you have given Chris, Colin and I. You are a part of each one of us and our journey, and we are who we are today BECAUSE of you...I love you!

To Chris...
Thank you for giving me your love, for taking care of Colin and I, and for being the rock to our family...I will always be "lost in this moment with you..." I love you!

To Colin...
You may not know this now, but my life is forever changed because of you. You scared me initially because I feared the unknown, but I fear nothing now. You fight, you perservere, and you love unconditionally. You have melted my heart...and you are changing each one of us that encounters you. Big things are going to happen because of you...

Happy 11-11!!