Diary of a Dying Mom

I’m a 39 year old mother of 2 battling a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma. Until December, I was a professor in the School of Public Health at UNC. I deal with the topic of death head-on in an unflinching way. I believe that, as a culture, we shy away from anything surrounding death and, consequently, deprive ourselves of all the lessons inherent in the dying and grieving process. We ignore the reality that death is as much a part of life as birth. My posts cover the gamut of human emotions because, as an Italian American, I have always had a “rich” emotional life. While many posts are sad just as many are comical.

This is not my version of “The Last Lecture.” It is my heart, my thoughts, my joys, and my fears as they unfold along this journey. My hope is that you will find some of it useful on your own life’s journey.

I hope that sharing my experiences will help not only those struggling with terminal illnesses but also those who are blessedly healthy.

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GOP booth sells $3 Obama bills at state fair

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — A $3 bill has both Democrats and Republicans talking.

The controversial bill features Barack Obama wearing a headdress, propelling a widespread myth that he’s Muslim. Some call it a joke, but not everyone’s laughing.

Carol Ronken is, in fact fuming over the bill which she found at the Evergreen State Fair’s Republican Party booth.

“It’s racist. It’s disgusting,” she said.

On the bill the words “da man” are printed under his face, perpetuating the myth. Obama is, in fact, a Christian.

“To make money on top of it even makes it worse,” Ronken said. “They weren’t giving it way; they were selling it for $3.”

Ronken snapped a picture, then called the local newspaper.

Republican county chair Geri Modrell says she never approved the bill.

“It’s not the policy of this party to use this low-level of humor,” she said.

Calling the bills a bad joke and nothing more, Modrell says she has asked volunteers to put them away.

Somebody thought it was funny. Somebody thought it was funny, that’s all,” she said.

Those bills are no longer being sold at the fair, but they’re available from several sources on the Internet. One Web site is even selling a pack of 25 for $5.

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Sarah Palin: A Big Gamble for Religious Conservatives

Mark DeMoss, former chief of staff to Jerry Falwell and now a leading Christian public relations executive, is hoping that Palin turns out well but has been shocked and worried by the reflexive Christian embrace of her.

“Too many evangelicals and religious conservative are too preoccupied with values and faith and pay no attention to competence. We don’t apply this approach to anything else in life, including choosing a pastor.” Imagine, he said, if a church was searching for a pastor and the leadership was brought a candidate with great values but little experience. “They’ve been a pastor for two years at a church with 150 people but he shares our values, so we hired him to be pastor of our 5,000 person church? It wouldn’t happen! We don’t say, ‘He shares our values, so let’s hire him.’ That’s absurd. Yet we apply that to choosing presidents. It blows my mind.”

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