Long Awaited Celebration - Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The idea for this "thank you" dinner came while I was still undergoing chemo. It continually overwhelmed me that so many were willing to rearrange their schedules in order to drive me to doctors' appointments AND sit with me through three hours of treatment. A number of others supported me in unusual ways. One such example was my hairstylist who has not charged me for any services rendered during the past year. All this time I could do nothing to show my appreciation. However, I thought after the medical protocol was ended and I had a few months to recover would be a great time to plan this event.

I chose my favorite organic restaurant located in Styer’s Nursery for the setting. This place was very important to me during my treatments because I knew I could trust the integrity of the food they serve. Aside from this, the restaurant itself is quite unique. It is set inside a greenhouse complete with plants, trees, and some of the most unusual natural decorations. The atmosphere is quite peaceful as well. I told my guests to dress up as this was a time to celebrate, not me, but them. In other words, this dinner was my opportunity to celebrate their contributions to my life. Months ago, one of my best friends gave me an evening gown that had never been worn. It is one of those long, sparkly, black, spaghetti-strapped, clingy numbers with a matching long-sleeved shrug. Surprisingly, it fit. So, I thought tonight would be the perfect occasion to christen the dress.

My intentions were to arrive a half an hour before my guests, but that did not happen. Fortunately, we were ten minutes ahead and were able to set up the place cards and CD player before they came. By six-thirty everyone had arrived, and we were able to begin dining. The food exceeded my expectations as well as those of my guests. After dinner, we had an awards ceremony. I gave every guest a "Team Joan 2010 Award." On each certificate, I described in two or three words what that person had demonstrated to me during the last year. I really worked hard on the awards, proofreading them about five times each. So, it was traumatizing to learn that I had misspelled the word "circumstances." So much for my hard efforts. Anyway, the evening was absolutely perfect otherwise. As we dined, I could observe each guest seeming to have a great time. That was my goal, to give them a pleasant evening in appreciation for all they had done for me during such a challenging year. It was a very rewarding feeling and well worth the money and time put into the event. I am overjoyed that I was able to do this for them. The evening also seemed to serve as an appropriate closure to a very difficult season in my life. It feels like something ended and something began within me tonight. A new season is coming and I look forward to what it holds.