Please, please tell your loved ones that they are appreciated, and do it often.
Please also keep her children, family and loved ones in your thoughts during this holiday season. There’s never a “right time” to lose a loved one, but the holidays seem to make it especially difficult.
Lastly, I strongly urge all of you to consider donating bone marrow. Cryssy, as she was lovingly known, succumbed to sickle cell anemia which can be cured by bone marrow transplants. The likelihood of being able to lessen someone else’s suffering increases with every new person who registers to be a donor, so please read up and consider registering. Apparently only 1 in every 540 registrants goes on to donate marrow, but those numbers are skewed for us because the need for African American donors is great.
My soul is completely crushed, you guys. I’m doing my best to keep it together, because I know that’s what Cryssy would want. She is a part of this community, has supported BGG2WL since the very beginning and I credit her support – among others of you – for what we are able to accomplish today. In her name, take a few moments today to dust that shit off your shoulders, shake your head one good time to get rid of all that negativity, and life your life to the fullest. That is my last image of Cryssy, and that is what she left all of us with. I know she’d love to leave it to you, as well.
The only thing keeping me from breaking down right now is the thought of planning a bone marrow drive in her honor. If any of you have any advice, tips, resources or anything, please leave it in the comments. Crying helps, but I feel better when I can do something.. anything.
Take care of yourselves, family. I need to go do the same. I love y’all.