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Ok... February 6, 2007 - 8:34 pm ...so it's been over 3 months since I said I wanted to started updating this more. I still mean that, and I really hope I can start putting it into action. It IS a goal.For now, I'm going to offer you the letter I sent out with my most recent Christmas/'holiday' cards. It'll give you, at least, an overview of what was going in 2006. I hope to expand on those things soon and add more recent stuff. Here it is: Dear Family & Friends, What a truly stressful year 2006 has been! I think the theme overall was ‘challenge.’ Nevertheless, I hope all of you have had a pleasant and meaningful year. My first real challenge was my living situation. I had been dealing with roommate issues for far too long. Since my roommate was a good friend, it was hard to decide to just move on. I eventually came to my senses, mustered the courage to beg my landlord to allow me to break my lease (which he did in the most supportive way), and finally, entrusted the services of a broker to find me a new apartment. Before I knew it, I was signing the lease to my very first apartment living ALONE! Yay! I’m now living in a studio apartment with hardwood floors and extremely high ceilings. Living alone is amazing! I still live in Harlem, but it’s quite a distance from my last apartment. It’s farther up and about as far west as you can get. I’m right on the Hudson River by Riverside Park. It’s a much friendlier neighborhood. I know that I’m always giving details about moving in each of my holiday letters, but hopefully my experience here will remain a happy one for a few years. The most difficult thing I had to go through this year began around Memorial Day. My mother finally received a comprehensive check-up & x-ray with her cancer doctors after an enormous amount of nudging from me. We discovered that she had melanoma cancer again for the third time. She had surgery a few days after to remove the tumor. I was fortunate enough to be able to go back to Iowa and be with her. My super supportive coworkers even bought my plane ticket home! They’re amazing! My mom’s surgery went well, and then all of the hard work began. She first went through a series of radiation treatments, then started a form of chemotherapy called Interferon. Both of these treatments are enough to wipe you out and make you sick, but my mom also suffered an allergic reaction to just about everything she was given plus other side effects.. She was so miserable, and it was very hard for me to be in New York while she was experiencing this stuff on a daily basis. I felt so removed, helpless and frustrated. My mom is my hero, and my best friend. I just wanted to be with her, even if all I could do was hug her and hold her hand. Right in the middle of dealing with this mess, the place where my mom worked shut down. Everyone that worked there, including my aunts Bonnie & Karen, lost their jobs at GEAR For Sports. It was heartbreaking, not only for my mom and the rest of my family, but also on a personal level. I had worked there for several years myself. This definitely took my mom’s situation to a whole new stress level, as finances were very difficult. Mom is a very strong person, and she’s gone through these last few months with such an optimistic outlook. She’s done everything that she needs to do, and I’m so proud of her. On December 18, she will be having the same comprehensive x-ray that she had in the very beginning. We’ll know then what the next steps will be. Hopefully the result will be cancer-free! One positive thing that I was able to do with my family this year was take a trip to Laramie, Wyoming. My little man, Eric, was graduating from WyoTech college! Geez, I remember his first day of kindergarten. I was in the fifth grade that year. We walked to the bus stop together, and I was so protective of him, like a mother hen! And now he’s graduating college! It just doesn’t seem possible. The trip was very nice. I flew to Kansas City, and then we all piled into my grandpa and grandma’s minivan and started the journey to Laramie. Eric’s girlfriend, Annie, came with us. I absolutely adore her, and I’m so glad she was there. The drive was really long, but we managed to have a good time. It was really nice just being all together. Eric and I had some great conversations while he was at college, and it was so wonderful to finally see his environment in person. I’m extremely proud of him! I’m still working at the public relations firm, Dan Klores Communications. At the beginning of October, I received a long overdue promotion! I am now a Junior Account Executive, and I finally have my first business card. I’m really enjoying my new position. There is a whole new level of responsibility, and I’ve become so much more involved. I work with a lot of great people and clients, and they allow me to continue to grow and learn while making the process an extremely pleasant one. This coming February I will have been with the company for two years. In November I turned 25 years old! Yes, I’m a quarter of a century now. I had two very special guests during my birthday. My mom and Duane flew out to spend the weekend with me. I couldn’t wait for them to get here, so they could see my apartment and meet my coworkers. It’s always a real treat having my family in the city, and we had a very memorable weekend. As challenging as this year has been, it’s still comforting to know that I’m standing on my own two feet. I’m still making it here in New York, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! Have a wonderful holiday season! Love, Tonya If you'd like to contact me: tmf222@yahoo.com |
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