Gin, Forrest Gump, and Seinfeld

My new Virginia license plates!  They finally got on my car today after we learned we did things a little backwards with state inspection, but really, when have we ever done things as they are supposed to be? The personalized plates have a lot of meanings for me and they arrived when I stumbled onto a life lesson from an unlikely source.

I didn't hesitate, at all, when I found out I could donate money to the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation by getting a pink ribbon plate.  And, I thought, why not personalize it?  4 MA GIN is for me, Ma Gin because so many of my students over the years referred to me as mom, Mama Gin and I want to always carry my adopted children with me.  Also MA is for Massachusetts; the people, places, and experiences will always have a place in my heart.  Lastly, it carries my love for Steve and my memory of him often repeating to me that adorable line from Forrest Gump, when Forrest introduces his love to Lieutenant Dan, "This is my Jenny."  These plates are about feeling good when there are many times that I (we) feel so bad.  This journey is unbearable at times, it is ugly, but it's the little things that give me (us) a boost to keep moving forward.

For as long as I can remember, Steve and I have always tried to have one television show that was ours to watch together.  I think it all started with watching West Wing and then our selections got much less serious with shows like Entourage and Big Bang Theory.  As the reality of the cancer diagnosis and my symptoms started to sink in, I knew Steve and I would absolutely need something to watch together, so we started watching the Internet show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.  A show that offers us therapy through such easy, feel-good laughter.  If we don't laugh, if we don't find those boosts, my cancer and all the anger and worry it brings will just swallow us whole.

If you haven't watched it, and I highly recommend you do, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a brief glimpse into what it would be like to just hang out for a little while with some funny celebrities.  We just watched an episode where Jerry takes Michael Richards, (aka Kramer from Seinfeld) out and about.  The humor and banter was great, but then, there was a beautiful moment of humility and grace shared between them; it's not every day you see an adult (Michael) admit fault and have such insight on the mistakes he's made.  Michael said of his on-stage, racist rant seven years ago, "I acted selfishly, not selflessly."  I think I might have seen my life flash before my eyes when I heard him say that - honestly, being unemployed and fighting cancer kind of does that to you too, but his words felt like such a powerful reminder of how our intentions in our actions is everything.  I thought it was one of the most authentic expressions of caring, humility, and insight I had ever seen; I hope I find some of that clarity on this long road trip of mine (ours).

Perhaps Jerry Seinfeld would like to drive me around for 20 minutes of therapy?  

Watch the episode:
Michael Richards It's Bubbly Time, Jerry - Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld