Live like ELLA ♥

I cannot think of a better blog entry today, my birthday blog, than to honor the life of my little Cancer Warrior Princess Angel, who is celebrating her first angelversary today. Last year, I can remember sitting in my classroom, celebrating the big 4-0 with my students and getting a text message that would put my celebrations into a tailspin. I received word that my little CWP had lost her battle with cancer and was now an angel. I was heartbroken, yet so very happy, all at the same time. My little friend whom I had never actually met, Ella Grace, was now an angel.

Truth be told, that little girl was an angel here on earth. I’ve blogged about her before, but today, February 11, I choose to blog about her again, because she deserves to be remembered today and forever! It is not our job to even try to begin to explain why some things in life happen. I wish I knew why a little 4 year old girl was taken from us. I wish I knew why that blasted C word won that battle. I wish I could explain the reason for all the nonsense. Any time you hear of a child losing their battle with a horrible disease, a whole host of emotions enters your world. We seem to feel angry, sad. We begin to question God and why he allows little ones to suffer. But Ella, well, that little girl taught a lot of people a lot about living. Ella never complained, always wore she smile (probably because it was the best accessory for her tutu and flowery headbands), and inspired people to be the best they could possibly be. I'm pretty sure that little girl went through what she did in order to teach us all a lesson about living, loving, and accepting our fate, come what may. I had the distinct pleasure of doing the Warrior Dash two years ago as Ella’s Warrior, raising a ton of funds for St. Jude’s, all in the name of Ella Grace Luchansky. It became a yearly tradition for me and my daughters, as each year we WARRIOR ON in Ella’s name!

When I look back at the life my little Cancer Warrior Princess Angel Ella Grace lived, I cannot help but be thankful for the gift of that little girl in my life. Without ever meeting her, she has inspired me to be a better person. She loved her tutus, headbands, purple, and glitter. She giggled and smiled and always thought of others. She truly LIVED her life. So many of us go through the motions of day to day living, completely overlooking the things that are truly important in life. Ella Grace lived her little life to love others, regardless of the battles she faced each and every day.

As I head out to work today, wearing my purple sweater (because purple is my favorite color, too), my Live Like Ella shirt underneath, and my purple converse, I am encouraging each and every one of you to go out and LIVE LIKE ELLA today and every day. Honor the life of a special little girl.

Until tomorrow, my friends……

Think Thankfully