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Positively Weightless

A healthy life not only means physically healthy, but mentally as well. Healthy eating, healthy exercising habits, and a positive attitude are all important and help maintain balance in life. I decided to combine my love of writing and my positivity to change the world in hopes that any reader can also become positively weightless, and lead them to a healthy life.


I decided a few months ago that I want to do almost like a series of posts about people who inspire me, who are always there for me, and/or are just important to me for many different reasons. I actually asked the first person I am going to write about today if she was okay with being the subject of my blog probably 2 months ago now, so she probably figured I forgot about writing this post. Her birthday is actually tomorrow, so I figured what better of a time to do this post... but it is also in a way a follow up to last week's post. The very first person who has had a tremendous influence on my life is Petrina Scaglione.

I met this girl back at orientation in college and we pretty much became inseparable. My second day of college classes (her first) I recognized her waiting to go into my first class. I dropped my metal water bottle which made an embarrassingly loud sound and soon after she's asking if she can sit with me because she recognized me as well. We started making small talk and soon realized we had almost every class together that day and became fast friends. I swear this girl is a mini version of me! We pretty much immediately hit it off and have been good friends ever since! We would always spend time between classes gossiping or she would laugh at me for playing a stupid game on my computer while she tried to do school work (I still can't make those potions on Pottermore girl!). It honestly feels like just yesterday we were college freshman going to plays for theater class and filming our mock movie trailer for the same class. Honestly so many memories are flooding back to me just as I type this out that I could go on and on! Meeting Trina, it honestly felt like we had known each other all our lives! I couldn't imagine coming out of college with a better friend.

Although Trina is seriously such an inspiring person all on her own, I want to fast forward to spring semester of 2013, our Junior year. I remember Trina texting me letting me know she had a doctor's appointment the next day so she wouldn't be there in the morning. I honestly thought nothing of it. I went to my first few classes then took my spot on the floor with a few other friends in the hallway of the English building (before we got our own lounge, which I am pretty sure our loud group inspired) to eat my lunch as usual. When Trina finally got to school that day she didn't have good news.

Trina informed us that although there were more tests being done, that she indeed had cancer. I remember being shocked and almost immediately going to anger. How could someone who so selflessly shaved every inch of her hair off and donated it to a cancer fund almost exactly a year prior be diagnosed with the same thing? Trina handled it like a champ. She was nothing but jokes and positive thoughts every time I saw her. I know she had bad days, who wouldn't in that situation?! But if I was in her shoes I would have completely shut down. I admire her so much for grabbing cancer by the horns and destroying it! She kind of tried to play it off like it wasn't as big of a deal as it was. I remember finding out once she beat it that it was a lot worse than she told us. My initial reaction to this was being upset with her, but now I only see this as strength. I hope to be even half as strong as you are someday Trina!

I tried to visit Trina whenever I could. Just because she had this sickness, it didn't change the person inside one bit! I really don't get what people don't understand about this. I vividly remember our very first “fake Christmas party” at the Scaglione household. We were doing our gift exchange, and
Trina, myself, and Nicole.
Trina's mother, Gail, hands me and Nicole (Trina's other very good friend whom I consider a dear friend now as well) each a small box to open. She started tearing up as she began thanking both of us for standing by Trina through the whole battle. We all were crying after that. In the boxes were small glass angels which I still cherish as much as that memory. It has a very special place in my bedroom.

I am rambling a bit here but it is so easy to do with this girl! She finds out she has cancer and not only beat it, but kept her head up the entire time! She unfortunately had to take a leave from school for more than a year. I was so sad to no longer have this girl (who was with me almost every day of our college careers so far) with me at school anymore. I still had many of the people I met at the beginning with me though at this point, however, I was so sad to not have Trina there with me everyday anymore. When she returned to school it was my last semester and a lot of her friends were graduating then too. I know that had to have been hard. Most people in that place never would have gone back to school. I honestly don't think I would have. Not Trina! She went back and walked across that stage for commencement back in May of this year. She didn't just graduate though, she also graduated with high honors as well as an award. Words cannot even begin to describe how proud I was of her for that!], and was absolutely honored to be part of her special day and sit with her amazing parents to watch her cross that stage!
Right: My college graduation, 2014
Left: Trina's college graduation, 2016

This amazing woman not only stayed positive through probably the hardest thing to happen in her life, but she got through it with flying colors. I admire her so much and am so honored to not only know her but to call her one of my very best friends. I am so inspired and proud of her strength and hope to be more like her! Her story makes me feel like I can achieve literally anything! I felt like there was no other person to be the subject of my very first post about people who inspire me.
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Life truly is a beautiful thing despite the fact that some things make it very hard to remember that. We all have our bad days, weeks, months, but in the end the sun always comes back. With all of the beautiful things life has to offer comes our unfortunate habit of taking them for granted. No matter how hard we try, we all do it at some point in our lives. Recent world and personal events have been making me ponder this fact as well as a few others, and I decided why not make my next (slightly overdue) post about this.

Think of how often you go to the grocery store and just grab the ingredients you need for dinner that night. You really don’t think even for a second how much time and effort was put into getting that very item on the shelves of your local grocery store. Anyone who knows me or just follows me at all on any of my social media posts knows for the past few summers I have taken up gardening. Every year for the past 3 or 4 years I have planted a vegetable garden, each year with decent success. The other night when I was out there watering my plants I got to thinking just how much work goes into each and every fruit produced from that garden.

 My garden in all its glory :-P ... pardon the lawn from our very
dry summer this year!
This year I decided to expand my garden and dig out a 7’x10’ section of the backyard (by hand mind you, took 2 days and a lot of sweat and tears) which I then had to purchase twelve 40 lb bags of soil to fill it with and mix in plant food, then even it all out before I even planted the seedlings, which I also started from seeds myself this year. Once I finally planted the seedlings, I also have to make sure I water every day and weed frequently to make sure the plants stay healthy. A month and a half later and only a few vegetables have been harvested from my garden. I have baby cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, and squash all over the place, but there are still weeks standing between now and harvesting those. So much time and energy is dedicated to something that takes us a few minutes to purchase from the store, and even less time to scarf down.

If you are reading this post you are blessed. By that I mean you obviously have access to a computer or cell phone, have shelter, enough food to eat, a warm bed at night. Most likely if you are reading these words you have all of those things. Take a second to think about how many people in the world probably do not have any of those things. One should always take a moment here and there to truly think about all the blessings they have in their life. Even when things get really tough, you think you are at rock bottom, that things can't get much worse... you still have a lot of things some people would do anything for. Everyone is entitled to be sad and have their off days... we are only human. Take time to mourn or get angry or whatever it may be, but when you can, remember just how many things you do have in your life.

To everyone reading this do me a favor.. tell your loved ones you love them. Call them, text them, shoot them a facebook message. Whatever it takes. Appreciate your loved ones at every second of every single day because although it is so cliché to say, you truly never know how much time you have left with them. Do not for one single second take your loved ones for granted.

Your health is something you also should never take for granted. Up until this year I would be the pot calling the kettle black here, but go to your annual check ups. I HATE going to the doctor's office. Most likely due to always getting lectured about my weight growing up. I went on an almost 7 year hiatus from my annual physicals because of this. Luckily this year when I finally decided to have a routine check-up everything was fine, but that can change so fast. Just because you seem healthy now, it is not guaranteed that will be the case tomorrow. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of others.

My main point in all of this rambling is to NEVER take anything for granted! I know this is next to impossible... we are only human, we all do it, but try and take some time each and every day to think about everything you have in your life. Maybe even try picturing your life without something or someone. Do not wait until it is too late to realize what you had. 
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About me




29 years old. Graduate from Buffalo State College with my B.A. in English. I am just looking to hopefully change the world through my love of writing and my positive attitude.

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