It wasn’t until I was 10 years old that I met my godmother/cousin, Sherrie. When she first met me, she gave me a stuffed animal as a gift. It was a lion. I named him ‘Leo’. 

For years I kept ‘Leo’ in a pile with all my other stuffed animals. Slowly, I got rid of  all the other stuffed animals; but I kept ‘Leo’. He held a special place in my heart,  just as Sherrie held a special place in my heart.

Sherrie spent a good portion of her life with Hodgkins. She went through 2 bone marrow transplants, various other medical treatments and somehow managed to be one of the most positive people on the planet.

As I got older, Sherrie invited me to her house in Central Florida for vacations. We always had fun visiting theme parks, swimming, cooking or watching movies together. When I got old enough, I would bring my friends along for a visit with her as well.  She would graciously allow 6 screaming, giggling 20 year olds into her house for New Years Eve and would casually turn on the Ohio State fight song at 7 am the morning after we’d all been out until 3 or 4 am. 

Sherrie always sent birthday cards or letters, always called, always remembered, always cared. She had a way of making you feel like the most important person on earth. 

My godmother/cousin managed to stay healthy for several years. Then, while I was away in Honduras, everything started to go downhill.  Sherrie had moved back to Ohio to live with her mother to ensure that she was in good care.  While home for a holiday visit, I called Sherrie to wish her a Merry Christmas; and I remember her saying, “It is time to let go Erika. I am tired. I am ready to move on.” She passed away about 5 months later.

When you form a special bond with someone, it’s hard to let go. And at her funeral, I cried as though I was crying for everyone else in the world all at the same time. I didn’t think that I would ever be able to stop.

A year after Sherrie’s funeral, I was driving down the road at 85 (more like 90) mph. I was speeding home from an event that I had been to that evening because I still had some school work to do, and I also had to prepare for a test that I was administering the following morning. Rush rush rush… 

I had my whole evening planned in my mind…then a dog jumped in front of my car. I swerved to miss the dog, pulling my steering wheel all the way to the left. Against all laws of physics, my car did not flip and roll off the road into the man-made lake. I ended up on 2 wheels. That is when I jerked my wheel all the way to the right, and my car landed on all 4 wheels. I swerved again to avoid a road sign. Eventually, a cement culvert stopped my car from slamming into a tree.  I got out of my car with bumps, bruises and a really bad headache; but I survived (can’t say the same for the poor dog who jumped in front of my car though).

I still have ‘Leo’. I still think of my godmother / cousin daily. I still have all of the cards and letters she sent me. And I wish she could be here this year for my wedding.

So, why do I believe in angels?

Do you really have to ask?

What a scary thought. I am now an Aunt to a small living being.  This past week I got to meet my new baby niece for the very first time. I was proud, amazed, overwhelmed and completely head-over-heels happy all at the same time.

It’s strange to think that a little living being might one day look up to you. Right now, her most important moments include feeding, bathing and diaper changes. But those needs will change over time. Eventually, she will start to talk. And then all hell will break loose!! For right now, I’ll just pray that I don’t put her diaper on backwards.

O.k. so I am not biased at all, but I happen to think my baby niece may possibly be the cutest baby on the face of the planet. Just take a look at the photo I’ve posted here if you don’t believe me. She is super cute. The most adorable of adorable children.  So, I will continue to take as many pictures of her as possible. You just never know when you might need those photos!

http://www.erikawatters.com/

One fabulous discovery my family made on Prince Edward Island, Canada was Cows Ice Cream. It may possibly be the most wonderful ice cream on earth.

Description from their website:

A re-cap of the 3 factors that make COWS ice cream taste so good!

HIGH BUTTERFAT CONTENT
16%

MINIMUM AIR
high density, slow to melt in your mouth ice cream!

FINEST INGREDIENTS
fresh cream, real eggs, sugar,
pure natural vanilla fresh PEI berries,
imported Holland cocoa.

Be sure to visit ‘Cows’ whenever you’re in Canada!

http://www.erikawatters.com/

As summer ends and fall creeps up on us, I thought this might be an appropriate time to reminisce on family road trips.

No one understands road trips better than my father. Early in his career, my dad was a surveyor for the State of Florida and spent hundreds of hours travelling from one beach to another surveying the coastline. Now, as an engineer, he doesn’t travel for work quite as often. However, that doesn’t mean his love for road travel has diminished even the slightest bit.

My dad truly found his soul-mate when he met my mother. She may be the one and only person who likes to travel by car as much as my father (actually, I just think she likes to hang out with my dad…whether it is in a car or not). It isn’t because they are afraid to fly, they just happen to really enjoy the scenery when traveling. So, getting from point A to point B by car makes the most sense.

When I was younger, my family would always try to take some sort of a summer trip. Sometimes, they were short trips and sometimes they were long trips. But, two things were constant. The trips were made by car, and I sat in the backseat with my younger brother.

I’d like to say that my brother and I were civil to each other during these excursions. But, I won’t lie. We weren’t. Come on!!! We were young kids! And these were the days before iPods and built in DVD players. So, you can imagine how much fun these trips were for my parents.

Needless to say, we spent a lot of ‘quality’ time together as a family. Maybe pieces of my road trips sound like some of the road trips you’ve taken in life:

Florida to New York – Purpose: Attend my mom’s high school reunion

I was 10. My mother wanted to attend her high school reunion in New York. So, my younger brother and I were going to New York for the 1st time in our lives. We started in Florida and made our way up the East Coast. Along the way, my brother started attacking me with the middle seat belt saying it was a snake, throwing it on me and screaming. Clever. My brilliant mother started a game that had the goal of spotting as many different state license plates as possible. That game helped us get through Georgia and the Carolinas.

In New York, we lived it up… Visited my mom’s friends out on Long Island and got to stay in a swanky house in the Hamptons with a pool (that is all my brother and I cared about at that age)… Ate at a fancy restaurant where my brother decided he didn’t like the food and instead wanted a hot dog… Had a canolo for the very 1st time… And got to see the Statue of Liberty. All that fun packed into one road trip.

Florida to Prince Edward Island, Canada – Purpose: Walk in the footsteps of ‘Anne’ from ‘Anne of Green Gables‘

Like many young girls, I read the ‘Anne of Green Gables‘ books. I envisioned visiting Prince Edward Island and walking in Anne’s footsteps. For some reason, my mother understood my excitement and thought that Prince Edward Island was the perfect place for us to take a summer vacation. So, off we went, in the car, driving up the East Coast, all the way to Canada. Of course we stopped at great places along the way; and then finally, crossed the border into Canada.

All I remember is how clean and beautiful it was. Certainly my father was thinking, ‘Canada, Oh Canada’ in his head. 

We took a ferry over to Prince Edward Island and instantly discovered its beauty. I remember dark red sand, wild grass, green pastures and our lovely house that overlooked the beach. We rented part of a 100 year old house that overlooked the ocean for a week. We explored the island, witnessed the aurora borealis (well, my family did…I was asleep) and found Green Gables. My childhood dreams were fulfilled.

Seattle to Montana to Wyoming to California to Oregon to Seattle – Purpose: The ‘legendary’ 3 week camping trip that started off with us losing our luggage in Kansas City

Ahh…finally my favorite trip to complain about, yet the most fun to remember. Believe it or not, one year my parents decided to FLY.  You heard me right! We flew all the way out to Seattle for a 3 week camping trip that would start right after we left the Seattle airport. First, we had to make it to Seattle.

No trip is complete without some kinks, and this trip had plenty. Due to weather, our flight was cancelled; and we were stuck in Kansas City. Of course, our luggage was shipped off to another city as we were escorted to a hotel for the evening. We made it to Seattle the next day, our luggage didn’t. Luckily, we were able to stay with friends until our bags arrived about 3 days later. Then, we were off, gear in hand. Bound and determined to conquer the wild west.

We drove up into Canada and then over and down into Montana to see Glacier National Park. Yes, camping the whole way. I like camping and all, but a 3 week camping trip for a teenage girl is just too much. Then, my parents thought it would be great fun to relive memories from their honeymoon. So, we went to Wyoming and hiked various trails in the Tetons. Then, we zig zagged across the great west…singing ‘Lion King’ songs the whole way.  We finally stayed at a hotel to take a normal shower in San Francisco. YAY!!! I could write an entire entry about this camping adventure, but I’ll spare you the details today.

It has taken me years to get over the trauma of being a teenage girl who has to deal with semi-primitive camping conditions for 3 weeks. But now, looking back, I can see how very special that trip was. Our whole family was together. Enjoying the scenery. Not worrying about work or school or anything back home. We were just living.

Remember, life is a highway…

http://www.erikawatters.com/

In order to prepare for any future hurricanes, my father thought that he would take care of a tree that was dangerously close to the livingroom off the side of our house. Here is the result:

And here’s the pool post clean-up:

Well…at least my dad got a new chainsaw out of the whole ordeal! : )

http://www.erikawatters.com/

Recently, one of my friends wrote a blog entry entitled ‘Letter to Me at 16.’ I thought this was a clever idea. But, I didn’t want to totally copy her. Then I remembered something my little exchange student sister from Finland used to do (maybe she still does this)… She would write a letter to herself for 5 to 10 years into the future. Then on her birthday, she would open the letter and see all of the things she had written to herself at that point in her life…sometimes for laughs and sometimes to see how far she had come.

So, I thought I might try this. I thought that I would write to myself 5 years into the future. Since I am 31….that would put my letter to me at 36. Completely random number (can’t call it odd because it is actually even)…but I digress.

**********************

Dear Erika,

Me

Here is a photo of yourself in your early 30s. You are now 36. Just 4 short years away from turning 40. Isn’t it crazy how quickly time flies?? You probably have more wrinkles now. Who the hell gives a flying fig?

Hopefully by now you have taken a few yoga classes and have calmed yourself down. You seriously need to take a chill pill and relax. Right now you are so wound up that you could probably be a toy monkey.

So that you don’t distract yourself, let’s focus on the things that really matter:

Life

• You have a beautiful niece. Make sure you are calling and writing and paying attention to every second. Love her and be the ‘crazy’ Aunt who does silly things for her birthday and calls her to tell her ridiculous stories.
• Forget about killing yourself for work. Work is just what you do, it’s not who you are (as my dad likes to say). Just do your job to the best of your ability and then get back to what really matters family and friends.

Love

• Things will work out. Even if they don’t…hopefully…you can learn to love yourself. At least your parents, brother and friends think you are special. Nobody else really matters.
• Love everyone unconditionally. Don’t give your family, your friends or other loved ones just half of your attention. Be sincere and genuine.

Dreams

• You’ve let many people/circumstances kill your dreams over time, and it is time to take a stand and refocus (if you haven’t already). Remember when you used to wanted to be a fashion designer? It doesn’t matter if you’re good…it just matters that you are happy.
• You’ve let people get you down…but the only person who can change how you feel is you. Would you just take yoga already? I seriously hope you are taking a yoga class by the time you read this later in life.

Peace

• Reduce negative influences in your life…and just live.

Love…yourself : )

As always…Take Care and Smile!

http://www.erikawatters.com/

Raising the Roof

Yup. That’s me raising the roof to my house in Florida. I guess I should say ‘my former house’ in Florida. Lots of labor and lots of love went into building that house, and this year…I sold it. 

When I tell people that I built my first house, they usually don’t realize what I mean. They think, sure…you hired a contractor who hired people to build your house. That could not be further from the truth. Here is what really happened.

After an endless search, my mother and father found a nice little piece of property in a quiet community on the northwest side of the city. We purchased the last lot in the neighborhood. However, since the community was developed several years prior to our purchase, my lot was overrun with trees, bushes and vines. Now, we could have hired someone to come and clear the land, but what fun would that be? No, my father decided that it would be much more practical if we cleared the land ourselves. That way…we could save the trees we wanted to save…practical.

Laying the foundation

Several months after we purchased the land, we finally finished clearing it. Of course, after you finish clearing the land, it is time to begin work on the foundation. Right?  Well, right after you level everything off and extract the stumps, you can begin to work on the foundation. Now surely we hired someone to dig the foundation, pour the footer, mix the mortar…yada yada…?  If you think we hired people to do any of that, then you haven’t met my father. No, we hand dug the foundation and laid the block. I personally mixed so much mortar that I had blisters covering my hands.

Framing the house

O.k. so, foundation done. Now, on to laying the floor and framing the house. Certainly we would hire someone to help us frame the house. Wrong again. On to raising the roof…  I personally carried trusses over to my brother, father and uncle. Luckily my uncle and cousin helped us to lift the trusses. Otherwise, I may have been sleeping under the stars. The insulation? We did that. The floors? That too. The roof, the kitchen, the bathrooms, the cabinets, the painting? Yes, all of it.

So, did we hire contractors for anything? Certainly…we called in contractors to hang the dry wall, install the plumbing and wire the electrical. Now, if our patience had not been wearing thin at that point, I imagine that my father would have done all of that work on his own as well. I love my dad.

It's a lot of fun to lay shingles on your roof in July

My beautiful little house in Florida

Of course, it sounds like a really long drawn out process. It was, but it was all worth it. One day as we were finalizing the interior of my home, one of my neighbors came by to talk with my father. She asked if she could get a tour of the home that ‘love’ built. We nearly burst into tears when she said this. My neighbors realized that this gift from my parents came straight from the heart.

When I think back on it now, I feel proud of what we accomplished. Not many people can say that they built their own home. As crazy as it sounds, I actually miss hanging out with my father and brother on Saturday and Sunday listening to NPR while hammering a few nails into wood. And now that I have sold that beautiful little home, all I can hope is that the new family living in it loves it as much as I do.

http://www.erikawatters.com/

My mother realized that I had grown up the day that I screamed back at her during an argument. Yes, I was a teenager. Why else would I scream at my mother?  Like many teenagers, I was a little too moody. Although I hated every second of those arguments, I learned several valuable lessons. As a teenager, my mother had to scream these lessons at me. Now, I ask for her to repeat those sage words of advice on every phone call home.

1. No one is better than anyone else - I am sure as a teenager I had moments where I thought that I was too good to do something or was acting like a spoiled brat. That is when my mother would remind me that ‘no one is better than anyone else.’ As I grew older, the meaning of this phrase changed. I started to realize the injustices in this world. The words of my mother meant even more as I tried to understand how some people seemed to float through life without putting in an ounce of effort. I had to remember that no one is better than anyone else. Everyone has a unique talent and gift. Just because some seem to have it easier, doesn’t necessarily mean that they do.

2. There are some things in this world that matter and others that do not – Our family was not rich, but we were comfortable…just your average middle class family. We never went hungry, and we never suffered. That being said, there were definitely moments when I’d beg my mother for new clothes or toys or this or that or whatever….just because one of my friends had them. That is when she’d tell me that ‘there are some things in this world that matter and others that do not.’ My mother just repeated this statement to me the other day. I was upset about something, and my mother put everything into perspective. Things that matter: family, friends, beautiful days, life, health, happiness, satisfaction with who you are and what you do. Things that don’t matter: fancy cars, big houses, expensive clothing, degrees from expensive universities, people who don’t believe in you and love you for who you are, jobs that don’t allow you to be the very best of who you are.

3.  Suck it up and deal with it – As a moody teenage girl, I would burst into tears at a moment’s notice…to which my mom would respond, “suck it up and deal with it.” She would tell me that I have to toughen up because most of the time you just need to get over things and move on to get ahead. O.k. so I am still emotional. Always have been and always will be…extremely sensitive to what is going on around me. However, when it comes right down to it, if I have to, I’ll suck it up and deal with it. I realize that nothing will ever be accomplished otherwise.

I am in my 30s, but I still call my mother regularly. She always puts everything into perspective for me. Both of my parents are still married after 30+ years, and I have an amazing brother and a beautiful baby niece. I have my health, and I am not suffering. I am very blessed. If I get down, however, I always try remember the lessons that my mother taught me.

http://www.erikawatters.com/

Saturday, June 21, 2008

This year, like many years, I struggled with what to do for my dad for Father’s Day. I might possibly be the world’s worst daughter. I begged my mother for clues on what dad has been asking for. He already has every tool in the Craftsman tool section at Sears. He doesn’t get excited about clothes or shoes like my mom. Forget about getting him a new handbag or a trip to the day spa. So, what do you get for dad when you live a zillion miles away??

What really made this simple decision even more difficult for me is knowing how much my father (and my mother) has sacrificed for me over the years. My mother said, “Just get your father a card Erika. He’ll love it.” Ugghh…really…after the 2 years of hard labor he put into building my first home, after the dealing with me as I went through the process of selling that first home, after all the years of listening to my endless whining about this or that. Just get a card???

As it turns out, that was the best possible thing to do. Thank god for the Internet and all the cool things that you can do online any more. I went to Hallmark.com and learned that you can create your own card and add in your photos and messages. Coolness. So, that is precisely what I did. I added in photos of my dad building my house, a photo of us at a football game when I was about 10, and a family photo from Christmas. He was so happy just because I remembered all those little moments. And my mom was proud of me.

Now, that brings me to my brother. He experienced his very first Father’s Day this year. Just 2 weeks ago he and my sister-in-law welcomed a new baby girl to the world. I have to say the thought of my little brother-who has thrown all kinds of objects at me-becoming a father seemed a little crazy. What? The boy who used to act like a crazy little kid at my birthday parties just to bother my friends is now a dad? Just like my dad? He is supposed to care for another living being??? Are you crazy?

Somehow he became an instant ‘pro’ at the sport of fatherhood. He can change a diaper in record time. He can swaddle without missing a beat. He can carry all of the needed baby accessories in one hand. He’s super dad! O.k. I don’t know if any of that is true, but he sure loves his baby girl. I can only imagine that he’ll be just as good a father as our dad was to us. He was always meant to be a dad so that some little girl could look up to him like I look up to my father. Lucky me though…I get to be ‘Aunt Erika’ who spoils her rotten and then sends her home!!! Lots of love to the fathers in my life!

http://www.erikawatters.com/