Awards, Links, Speshulness

Awards, gifts...I feel like I am all warm and fuzzy all at once and whoa.

I kinda like it.

First, the exciting I Won Big Package Day.

Then? Then I got this from Headless Mom.

Because apparently, I kick ass. Which I do. And she knows that. Not that I'd kick her ass, because I totally wouldn't. I would pinch it, but just a tiny bit and then I would pretend it wasn't me.
Here's the thing. I think she kicks ass, because she is:

• pretty


• kind


• really smart


• and apparently not afraid of my severe godlessness or guilt by association on judgment day.

So, in turn, I am supposed to award five bloggers the kick ass award. I hate chain letters more than root canals (because with root canals you usually end up with some reasonably good drugs, whereas chain letters? nothing but trouble.), but I love to kick ass, so the way I see it, if every kick ass blogger awards five more bloggers, eventually we all will kick ass. Which will then make it less special, sure, but who are you calling elitist? I didn't think so.

So...I am going to award five women whom I met for the first time this year at Blogher (which narrows it down for me and makes it slightly easier):

• Rachel, mother of six, residing in Israel and writing about infertility and beyond (yes, six)...we had a meaningful conversation in the shoe department of Macy's with mayhem all around us. I heart Yirmi.




• Melanie of Left Coast Mom, who found herself partying with the other crazy left coast chicks by some awesome layout of fate. Her mom just died. Her dog died last week. Be extra nice to her.




• Laurie, of Laurie Writes. Again - another happenstance of meeting, partying and secrets. (Shhhhhhh)




• Kelly, who is MochaMomma. She is smart and nice and pretty and tall and wears great shoes without falling over and I want to be her when I grow up.




• Loralee. I can not believe I had never met her before. I am totally smooching her next year now that I know she has no boundaries.




• (I totally have at least five more. Damn this is harder than I thought! FAIL!)
  

BUT WAIT! DON'T GO AWAY YET!

Then I got notice of this.

I have been honoured for writing about my son Elijah.

A bittersweet honour (I say honour because sweet Kate is Canadian), (and I say bittersweet because I have been honoured for spinning thoughts into words which were spewed out in attempts to hold insanity at bay), but one which bears the prestige of being recognized for sharing one's barest truth. Kind of like a bravery medal.

And one which comes because I have written about my son Elijah. There is no greater honour; and no greater way to honour him.

But to take it one step further, I was also nominated for another post in the very same month. (Thank you, whomever you are...)

Evidently, the emotional arteries are in a clearing phase.

Thank you, Glow, for reminding me to not keep my words to myself.

~Give sorrow words.
The grief that does not speak
knits up the overwrought heart
and bids it break.~

~Shakespeare