Sunday, March 30, 2008

Going Big... Today!

How do we go big? We go big every time we place another's needs before our own. We go big every time we reach out and move beyond our comfort zone. We go big when we donate our time and energy to a worthy cause. We go big every time we act out of love and compassion. How will you go big today?
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Friday, March 28, 2008

Update - Very Big and Happy News!

Jenni spoke with her neurosurgeon today and found out that the tumor is benign. There will be more information to come, but for now we can all breathe a deep sigh of relief.

Please continue to post your "Go Big" activities here. Let this news inspire you to spread your own joy to those around you. Maybe it's a smile at a stranger in the supermarket, or maybe you go out of your way to help someone in need. It's the thousand acts of kindness that make the tough times bearable. You never know what your small act can do - it might just change someone's world.
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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Happy Birthday, Jenni!

Today is Jenni's birthday! Let's all wish her an amazing and wonderful, and a very healthy and happy new year. Happy Birthday, Jenni!
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Getting Healthy

Apologies for not posting sooner. Please post your "Go Big" events here for today!

I saw Jenni yesterday and she is doing very well. We're hoping to her the results of the biopsy soon. Thank you again to everyone for your well-wishes!
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Monday, March 24, 2008

Being Kind

I spoke with Jenni on the phone yesterday, and she is doing incredibly well considering... Jenni appreciates all of your words of support and has enjoyed reading about everyone's "Go Big" events. Please post here today. Thanks!
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Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Easter!

Many wishes that you spend your Easter surrounded by loved ones. This may be a good time to do or plan your next "Go Big" event!
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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Go Big for Jenni!

Please post here today. Go Big for Jenni!
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Friday, March 21, 2008

Jenni's Back Home!

After her very successful surgery yesterday, Jenni was released from the hospital this afternoon. She'll be resting in her own bed for the next few days. Thank you again to everyone for their love and support!
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It's Not Like It's Life or Death

Jenni continues to do well post-surgery. Please continue to leave your well-wishes and "Go Big" events here!

I thought I'd post something my dad wrote yesterday for today's post:
__

We wake up in the morning and our first thoughts are toward the trials and tribulations we will face. What will I wear? What will traffic be like? Do I have enough cash for lunch? Is there enough time to finish that report?

Our stomach ties up in a knot. Our brain says, "Hey, it's not like it's life or death." Our stomach disagrees.

Sometimes, it is life and death. Lynette's friend Jenni is having one of those days today. I had one back in 1988. It puts things into perspective.

We take health for granted. Yet, it can go in the blink of an eye and our lives and those of our loved ones will never be the same. There is more high drama being played out in hospitals every day than Shakespeare ever considered and there's a lesson to be learned.

Maybe that shirt you are wearing has a stain on it, maybe Route 22 is backed up, maybe you'll have to stop by the ATM before you can eat lunch, maybe the boss will be all over you because the report is late, it's not life and death! You are breathing. Your loved ones are safe and sound. Everything else is gravy.

Love, Dad
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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Another quick update

Jenni is reportedly doing very well and is back to her talkative self. According to her advisor it's like she "took a short nap" and is completely herself. She also says that she's ready for visitors if anyone want to come see her. I'll let you know when she returns home.
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Update on Jenni's Surgery

Jenni is out of surgery and doing well. The surgery went as planned and her doctors are pleased with how it went. She is alert, talking, and moving fingers and toes. She'll be moving to intensive care shortly. We are all much relieved and thrilled to hear this great news!
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Surgery Today

Jenni's surgery is scheduled for today. Check back on this site for updates - I will post as soon as I hear any news. Please post your Go Big activities for today here. Thank you again, for all the loving thoughts and prayers!

Also, if you are interested in preparing a meal for Jenni, please send a message to Lynette and I'll let you know how you can help.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Think Positive Thoughts and Do Positive Things

Jenni's surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.  Please post all of your "Go Big" activities here, and if you'd like to leave Jenni some positive thoughts, please do so here!
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Many Happy Posts!

Thank you for posting, everyone!  Please comment on this one today!
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Sunday, March 16, 2008

Go Big News

This site also plans to serve as a way to update people about Jenni's recovery.  We plan on posting news as soon as we hear it so that everyone can be "in the know!"  So, check back frequently.  And, if Jenni is able, she'll make some posts as well.  Again, thank you everyone for your support!

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

How to Correspond with Jenni

For those of you interested in corresponding with Jenni, we ask that you contact her using this email address:


This is the best way to get in touch if you'd like to know a mailing address to send any gifts or flowers, how to make donations, and if you'd like to let her know any "GO BIG" activities you've participated in that you don't want to post here. This account will be checked regularly. Thank you everyone for your contributions!
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Friday, March 14, 2008

Give blood!

One way that Jenni has found to give back to the community is by donating blood. However, as a result of her recent diagnosis, she has been informed that, for the time being, she should “hang onto her own blood.” This news has been quite upsetting for her, and being the wonderful advisor that he is, Bruce Compas volunteered to donate blood during the time that Jenni isn’t able. This is how "Go Big" was born… Jenni got to thinking that it would be wonderful if people could go above and beyond just covering her part. For those of you who are able to, donating blood would be the perfect way to Go Big. If you are not able to donate, encourage those who can.

As luck (or fate) would have it, there are three blood drives on Vanderbilt's campus in the next couple of weeks...

Tuesday, March 18, 2008. 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Vanderbilt Children's Hospital – Children's Theater (2nd floor)
Appointments to donate are scheduled every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

To set your own appointment, go to www.givelife.org and use sponsor code Vandy19

Friday, March 21, 2008. 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Vanderbilt University Student Life Center
325 25th Avenue South

Monday, March 24, 2008. 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Vanderbilt University Law School, Law Parking Lot
131 21st. Avenue South

To make appointments or for more information on any of these blood drives or other Red Cross Blood Donation sites near you, visit www.givelife.org

Go Big for Jenni!
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Ten Thousand Ordinary Acts of Kindness and Thinking Happy Stuff

On Friday, March 7th Jenni was unexpectedly diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Since her diagnosis, things have moved quickly.  She elected to have surgery on Thursday, March 20.  It's been an incredibly difficult and challenging time for her, her family, and those that love her.  

One thing we know about Jenni is how much she loves to help other people.  Her big heart and unending compassion is no secret to those around her.  And so, during this difficult time, many people have asked "How can we help Jenni - someone who has helped so many other people - in a way that shows her how much we care?"  In true Jenni fashion, she has given us a response in the form of a challenge: in order to do good for her, she requests that you do good for other people.

Stephen Jay Gould once said, "The center of human nature is rooted in ten thousand ordinary acts of kindness that define our days."  Jenni told me that, since her diagnosis, she was made keenly aware of the "ten thousand ordinary acts of kindness" that are around her and have been around her every day.  The outpouring of love and support she has received has meant a lot to her, and she'd like to continue the cycle of giving and encourage that it spread out into her community and beyond.  Thus, this website was created for all of us who want to support Jenni in order to tell her, and each other, all of the many acts of kindness we both receive and give on a daily basis.  Jenni is asking that we purposefully do an act of kindness each day and post what it is that we did.  She also asks that, when we are recipients of acts of kindness, that we post those as well.  She plans on reading the blog each day as she recovers and it is our hope that each one of our small stories might contribute to the well-being of Jenni and our community as a whole.  

In order to make this work, we ask that you select a user name that is easily identifiable or to add your name to each of your posts so we know who is posting what.  We also encourage you to give suggestions about acts of kindness that others may take part in.  For example, if your church is having a bake sale, your child's school is having a fundraiser, or your neighbor's care needs a good washing, let us know and we might be able to help out.  Remember, no act of kindness is too small to post here.  And perhaps through recognizing all of the love that surrounds each one of us, the positive energy that Jenni gives out to her comunity will be returned ten thousand-fold.
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My Vision for Go Big!

On March 7, 2008 my life got turned upside down.  I was unexpectedly diagnosed with a brain tumor which was so not on my to do list!  Equally unexpectedly, I had neurosurgery on March 20 and the results of the biopsy indicated that the tumor was benign.  Thank God!  Along this journey, I have taken solace in the fact that this is a huge opportunity for us all.

I am a clinical psychology doctoral student at Vanderbilt University.  For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make a huge difference in the world.  For a couple of days, I actually feared that I had wished this scary and chaotic experience on myself and my loved ones, but then I was reminded that "life prepares life" and it all started making a bit more sense.

In a whirlwind of pre-operative appointments, Dr. Kyle Weaver, my neurosurgeon, told me that I should "hold onto my blood" which was a huge blow to me as I try to be a regular blood donor.  Without skipping a beat, however, my advisor, Dr. Bruce Compas, made me an offer to "pick up the slack" which I believe was the impetus for this whole GO BIG challenge as it struck me then that perhaps we can all be doing just a little more.

As a person who hopes to make a profession and a life of helping children and families, I'm committed to helping others in the best way I know how.  Consistently, I work with parents and children teaching them to praise the good and ignore the bad.  Not my idea, but it is a behavioral principle that works.  Now, don't get me wrong--I'm not blind to the evil in this world.  In fact, I'm struck by our culture's fascination with drama, hurt, despair, and scandal.  It absolutely blows my mind that these negatives suck so much of our attention that we can relatively easily forget all of the 1000's acts of kindness that are going on right this very minute.  

My hope is that this website can be a central location for all of us to capture all of the really awesome things that we are already doing and that we can all be inspired by each other's goodness.  It's not an original or courageous idea (although some have called it that), it is just an opportunity to do something that I've always wanted to do.  And, I'll bet that if I'm anything like you, I'm just doing the best that I can in this moment.  Sometimes that means that I offend people.  We are all imperfectly perfect and I know that that is where the true beauty lies.

There are no absolute rules because I couldn't possibly predict the creative and imaginative ways that we can each help one another.  Well, that's a lie.  There is really just one rule:  do what you feel in your heart!  Try not to feel like what you do doesn't matter.  It does!  If you don't believe me, read the postings for yourself and see what you think.  To somebody in that moment, you will have made a difference and for that I am eternally grateful.

So if you feel it in your heart or your head or whatever pushes you to act, try to do something.  Nothing is too small and nothing is too big.  Just put one foot in front of the other, and if you wish, take a risk.

Overwhelmed with a sea of emotions and an outpouring of support from our community, Austin, the love of my life, and I have felt so very blessed.  I believe that there is always meaning out there in this precious world of ours, sometimes you just have to squint to find it.  This past several weeks has been a truly rock ride and my guess is that life always will be.  So, step aboard if you are up for the challenge and let's see how far we can get this good to spread.

With great gratitude,