the reason

you may be wondering why i suddenly have started blogging again, after such a long break.

first of all, i didn't want to blog until my chronicles of italy (not to be confused with the chronicles of narnia) were finished. i've been whittling away at it, and finally finished it today.

but i do have a reason for finishing it today, and not next week...or next month. my reason is this:

many of you know i have been teaching in oakville for a long time now. my very first student has always held a special place in my heart...not just because she was my first student in a new environment, but because we hit it off immediately. i taught her for years and she came to my wedding! although she is no longer my student, she remains a friend and we keep in touch regularly, thanks to life's modern advances - namely, facebook, texting, blogging and starbucks.

a bit more background info for you...

dana is an amazing person. she is vivacious and smart, funny and responsible, caring and quirky. she is beautiful inside and out. she excels at everything she does, and she doesn't even need to try. but that's not the type of person she is...she doesn't do things half-way. everything she does, she does with determination and all her energy.

dana has an equally amazing father. he was known to all that worked at the school, as the dad who cared endlessly about his kids. he used to listen in on his daughters' lessons outside their classroom doors, i think, because he wanted to support them without smothering them. he was incredibly cheerful and known for his easy-going manner. the people that knew him, admired him. a wonderful person with a perfect family.

dana's father has a rare form of brain cancer but was in remission. unfortunately, his cancer has returned. you can check out dana's story here. the shortened version: dana's dad is in palliative care and she is participating in the ride to conquer cancer in june 2010.

no one deserves to go through something like this, but dana's family is especially unworthy of such heartbreak.

we have all been affected by cancer's deadly reach, and we would all like to see cancer beaten in our lifetime. please, if you can, donate even a bit of money to help this happen and to support dana on her journey. click here to donate.

thank you.