What Have You Learned This Week?

What I learned this week...

1) As you know, we lost a friend last week. Her memorial service was beautiful and truly honored the person she was. I was reminded that during ultimate crisis, it is possible to maintain your dignity. It is possible to die beautifully, peacefully, and confidently. Learn from tragedy, become a stronger and better person, don't wallow in self pity. It is possible. Melissa taught us this.

2) If you are thinking about having children, do not offer to babysit a newborn. You will not want children after the fact. Even if he is a perfect baby, he will be an incredible amount of work. Nothing else will be accomplished in your day besides changing your outfit at least 3 times after being puked on, peed on, and 'everything else-ed' on. I learned this week to admire all mothers and fathers. Whether you stay home full time with your baby or you work and come home to your baby...you are my hero! If in fact you work at home and have a baby, would you kindly let me know how in the world you do it?!

3) If it is the first beautiful weekend for you to plant flowers, don't plant them all in one day. Your hands, arms, and back have gone soft over the winter. Take it slow, otherwise you will HURT all over for days afterward!

4) Tennis shoes should be worn with socks. Period.

5) The price of flowers has gone up...be prepared.

6) Finally, I learned this week that there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of newborn finches 'laughing' inside your newly installed bird house. Spend five minutes one evening watching and listening to a mother bird feed her young. You will be glad you did.

Oh one more thing I learned...there are many people in this world that do not appreciate this punctuation mark (...). Personally, I love it.

What did you learn this week?

In Memory of Our Friend

My husband and I lost our friend Melissa today. After six months spent battling a very rare and aggressive cancer, Melissa Greer has gone home.

Melissa leaves behind her husband, Roger, of almost 8 months and her 2 1/2 month old son, Connor, whose actual due date was only 5 days ago. Connor was delivered early in order to give Melissa a chance to fight her illness.

We met Melissa when she was hired to work alongside my husband as a meteorologist on the WBTV team. Her smile is what struck you first, big and beautiful. Then you noticed her eyes, so full of life, so full of fire. She was barely 5 feet tall, and all spirit.

Melissa dated one of our best friends for several months. Two wonderful people not destined to be together, yet the admiration continued long after the break-up. The four of us rang in the New Year together in 2006.

I believe it was sometime in June that Melissa first met Roger. Instant love from what I hear. They decided to marry and set the date for that September. I remember hearing that Melissa wasn't feeling well on her wedding day, most figured it had to do with nerves.

Sadly, it did not. Melissa, 4 months pregnant with her first son, was diagnosed with one of the rarest cancers known last November. I will never forget hearing the news soon after my husband received a call from work. It didn't make sense.

It will never make sense.

My husband and I went to see Melissa one day while she was at work. She had not put on her wig or make-up yet, she was about 6 months pregnant with Connor. She was so beautiful. Chemo was tearing through her body, yet there she sat...working on the 7-day forecast. Tiny, but oh so tough.

I saw Melissa for the last time on April 1st. Several of her dearest friends had organized the baby shower she was unable to have prior to her son's birth. She was beautiful, but she was also very tired. I told her how strong I thought she was, she explained that she had not been given a choice...she was strong because she had to be.

Melissa also told me that she no longer held on to any fear. She did not fear dying. Her faith renewed, she knew she would be going home to her Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure her smile is lighting up His kingdom at this very moment.

Melissa fought hard and never lost her positive attitude. She was proud of the person she became during her battle. She died today with dignity. She died quickly...peacefully, surrounded by family.

This Sunday, my husband and I will celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We realize how fortunate we are to have these times together. We will celebrate, but we will have heavy hearts.

We wish Roger and Melissa could have celebrated their own anniversary. God had a different plan, and though we don't understand...we know it is as it should be.

Please take a moment to celebrate today. Breathe deeply, smile greatly, kiss your loved ones...and say a prayer for a family that has only just begun the healing process.

Mrs. Flexibility

One of the best things you can be in our line of work is...FLEXIBLE! No, I'm not referring to the ability to bend backwards and touch your nose to your toes, I'm referring to the flexibility you have with your time. If our schedules are not filled to the brim, opportunity can arise!

I always try to allow for time to relax, time to get things done around the house, help out at church, etc. I've read about many voice actors that immerse themselves in work. A bit of time to eat, tuck in the kids- and it's right back to the studio. This is great, if you are being paid the same per spot as Don LaFontaine! For the rest of us, over-scheduling can cause you to miss out on great opportunities.

I am not a big believer in quantity over quality.

I've received the same calls the rest of you have. 50 spots a month for $15 a pop! Great. So, I can have guaranteed monthly work at a MUCH rate lower than I would normally charge...or I can hold out for a job that might come from nowhere and be willing to pay me what I'm worth.

Perhaps I'm a gambler after all...as I'd take the latter!

Yesterday was supposed to be my 'free day'. I had nothing scheduled, so I was planning to finally order those wedding pictures I've been meaning to get to (yes, it's been a YEAR!) and play in the garden a bit. The phone rang at 10am. A job I had turned down last week (the rate was too low) had decided to match my fee after all (which was TWICE what they originally offered). I had promised a quick turn around- so I recorded and sent it off in under an hour. Voila! Back to the gardens and wedding pictures...

At 2pm the phone rang again. How fast could I be ready to go on camera and record a car commercial in a town 30 minutes away? Considering I had been playing in the garden throughout the day, and was pretty sure there was a bit of bird poop on my left knee from the bird bath I had cleaned only moments before...uhm...well...it was the fastest shower and make-up slathering of my life!

4 hours later, a 30 minute infomercial and 30 second TV commercial had been filmed! HAH! Now, not everyday goes like this (obviously- or we would be living in a much larger home!). However, if I was committed to 50 spots for a low rate on a deadline- I would not have been able to throw on some heels and earn a decent day's wages on a moment's notice!

Stop and think before you over-commit yourself to guaranteed work for low pay. Sometimes, being flexible and AVAILABLE can bring great rewards! Be confident in your abilities, deliver a great product, and know that you are worth the money spent!

In fact, I received the call an hour ago that the agency liked my work...I'm on the schedule for 2 more commercials next week!