2.27.70

My birthday.

I’m a pretty low-key birthday girl. A text, a hug, a puppy (maybe a yellow lab this time)…I’m really not picky. And, despite the fact that I’m a very social person, deep inside I’m shy and quiet, and would prefer to fly as far under the radar as possible. I’ve never been one to call any sort of attention to stuff like this. So much easier to give than to receive.

I’ve been thinking for the past couple of days about what I could write for today. It’s hard to acknowledge something while trying to not call attention to it or yourself. I pondered telling the exciting story about my mom going into labor while watching Peyton Place, but managing to stay home to see the end of the movie before she had my dad drive her to the hospital. I thought you might enjoy hearing about how she called him the next morning to say that after two boys, they finally were blessed with a baby girl, only to have him think she was pulling his leg, it was a false alarm, and he should come pick her up. Thankfully, the doctor confirmed Marge’s news and my father and brothers soon arrived to meet the newest member of the Friedman family.

I also thought about writing a benchmark post, a ‘year in review’ gig, but I’m not really a backward looking girl, and nixed that idea too.

And then, at 3:42am, it came to me. As many of you know, I am a committed PMC rider. If you haven’t heard of the PMC before, check it out: www.pmc.org This coming summer will be my 8th year doing the 192 mile ride to raise money for cancer research & treatment. Last year, I was thrilled to have my oldest son, Jacob, join me in doing the ride. He dusted me despite his limited training rides, and besides a bruised ego of a wanna-be athletic powerhouse, I was so proud to have him join me in actively trying to make a difference by raising money to fight cancer.

This summer (I can’t even type this with a straight face) my middle son Sammy is joining us. I truly cannot believe it and am so looking forward to the weekend of August 3, 2014. As a parent, I often wonder what I’m doing wrong. But when I think of Jacob AND Sam volunteering to train to ride 192 miles in a weekend, I can’t help but acknowledge that something right has happened over here.

And so, here’s my birthday wish: I would love to kick off Jacob & Sam’s fundraising by asking anyone who is interested to make a donation to either Jacob or Sam’s ride. 100% of all rider donations go directly to the Jimmy Fund, and each rider has to reach a minimum of $4600. Any size donation makes a difference & it’s easy to donate. Go to https://www2.pmc.org/donation.asp to get to the PMC donation page. Sam Witt’s rider id is SW0185 and Jacob Witt’s is JW0300.

One more wish: wish me luck this summer as I try my damndest to keep up with the boys.