B Positive: Guest Blogger

It's only our fifth day back to school and already a teacher friend asked me if I was interested in her as a guest blogger.  The fact that I have been practically shouting from the rooftops, "Does anybody want to help me out this year and guest blog?" probably hasn't hurt.  So, thank you, teacher friend for being brave and stepping up. 

This guest blogger is one of the most positive people I know, always greeting everyone with an exuberant smile.  After I read this story, I realized that it really is true.  You can help people be more positive by simply being more positive yourself.  Even in the face of death, this woman chose to not let things bring her down; instead she clung to the positive.  I wonder how many of us could do the same.

B Positive

To some of you, this will be a very strange blog post on positivity, but I urge you to keep reading, hang in there, and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a picture of my friend and I on her wedding day.  What a wonderful day filled with love, laughter, family, and friends.  Sadly, she recently passed away from breast cancer at the age of 43.  What could this possibly have to do with positivity?  Positivity is what enabled this young woman to live much longer than expected, to see her kids accomplish goals, snuggle them in bed at night, to enjoy her parents, to hug and hold her husband, to have lunch with her girlfriends, to fight with her sister, to laugh and be laughed at, to love life.

My friend was always positive; always the glass is half full kind of girl.  We used to tease her because she was a Gold Tour Guide, leading nervous freshmen and easily as nervous parents around the campus of Western Michigan, never ceasing to smile, laugh and put them at ease.

My little, Italian friend (as we often called her) was very strong in her faith in God and the promise of eternal life.  It was this belief that gave her strength in accepting what was to come next and I daresay, looking forward to it.  Her positive outlook on life and death has been inspirational.  You see, I could never wrap my head around the words, "at peace".  It just seemed like something you say when someone dies, something to make the event seem more bearable. My dear friend exemplified  at peace, and in turn made everyone who loved her feel at peace.

On one visit to the hospital, shortly before her passing, I asked her blood type.  She said, "What do you think?"
As I contemplated, she replied, "B Positive, of course."

Of course - her mantra!