Ac-CEN-tu-ate the positive

OK, I just re-read my last two entries and I say enough of the somber. Of course I miss Maggie and I will for the rest of my life, but even when the sadness overflows as it has been lately, I remain filled with great memories of an amazing young woman.

And her memory lives on! A few weeks ago I shared the "Remembering Maggie McDonald" team page for the UCSF Hardhat walk on September 6. Lots of folks have signed up to walk with us or just to donate in Maggie's memory. That means so much to us!

I have ordered these hats for anyone on Maggie's team who shows up to the walk and will adorn them with Maggie's picture (if I actually get that together).

If anyone wants to jump into the fun, here is the link  Maggie's hardhat walk team. Please feel free to join in. I can always order more hats. (they're plastic, so don't start planning your construction career around them)

In addition to the hard hat walk, so many people made donations after Maggie passed away that she is now on the list of donors who support the Family Resource Room at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. This room is for families of hospitalized children and they can just sit and have a cup of coffee, or use computers, fax and phone or get things they need that they may have forgotten from home. It was a great comfort to me throughout Maggie's hundreds of hospitalizations  The little plaque was just installed the other day and it made me cry just a little bit - in a good way - when I saw it. 

And just as I was finishing this post, I received a message from a former neighbor who reads this blog all the time. Seems her nine yer old daughter is ready for her first foray into the mall and wants to go to Stonestown, just like Maggie did. I'm not really sure Maggie can take credit for a young lady wanting to hit the mall, because it seems to be a developmental milestone, but I know Maggie was instrumental in that particular girl's choice, and that makes me happy. 

So despite my ongoing sadness, which will always be there, I have so many reasons to smile knowing Maggie is still working her magic and improving people's lives. 

She was something else.