Profile: My Parents

Above: My parents, Jack and Dolores Donoghue

Next week, on October 9, my parents will celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary! They are devoted parents, loving grandparents and loyal friends. They are a wonderful example of patience and kindness, as described in the following wedding prayer:


LOVE IS PATIENT
Corinthians 1:13

Love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends...So faith , hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love.


Happy Anniversary mom and dad!!!

Words of Wisdom

"Live for today, but always hold out hope for tommorrow."


And from one of my readers:

"Don't let past successes, yours or others, lead you to believe the matter is resolved."

Reach For The Stars!

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.

-author unknown

GOD BLESS AMERICA

“America The Beautiful”

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self the country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Written by Katharine Lee Bates, of Falmouth, Massachusetts


We will never forget...September 11, 2001 - September 11, 2007

Summer Safety...

With the beautiful warm and sunny weather this weekend, summer has unofficially begun in New England. This is a good time to think about saftey.

According to statistics, summer is the season when injuries are most prevelent. Whether through motor vehicle accidents, sports, or even violence, hospitals all begin to see a rise in admissions at this time of year. More often than not, the people who are hurt in these circumstances are young adults. Many of them will incur life-changing spinal cord injuries (SCI) and tramatic brain injuries (TBI) that leave them permanantly disabled. This is a difficult fact of life to accept...

But there is good news - a lot of these injuries are easily preventable! Behavioral Health researchers have taught us that many "accidents" are really preventable injuries. Here are a few sensible reminders that could change someone's life:

- always wear a seatbelt
- obey posted warnings such as, Do Not Dive or Grooved Pavement
- abide by speed limits
- keep windows closed when young children are around
- wear helmets when bike riding, motorcyclng, sledding, skiing and skating

The Boston Public Health Commission is working to lower the number of injuries in the city through several initiatives, such as: a Spinal Cord Injury Prevention Program and Kids Can't Fly window saftey program. They also distribute helmets to families who meet certain qualifications.

Check out their website for more safety tips at: www.bphc.org

And remember: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Thank You for Donation - Anonymous Friend

I received a donation today for the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Organization from an "anonymous friend" who wishes me well in the national competition. This "friend" thanked me for all my efforts since being crowned, and said in the attached note I am "doing important work" that will impact the lives of others in a meaningful way.

It is so rewarding to realize that the advocacy work I've been doing has not gone unseen or unheard. This is my priority for the upcoming year, and I intend to give it my all!

Thank you too to all my sponsors. The deadline for my application fee for the national pageant is quickly approaching, so any contributions are welcome and appreciated!!!

A Vote of Confidence...

A few excerpts from my husband John's blog:

"Congratulations to my wife Kristen McCosh for winning Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2007...it was great to see Kristen get the credit she deserves. Kristen does so well and is so talented and accomplished that people have no idea what a high level injury she has, so it was touching to see a bunch of people looking up to her like she was a role model. Well, I guess she really is a role model. Good for you Kristen and best of luck in the Ms. Wheelchair America competition in Washington D.C. in July. It's going to be a fun week!"

...Ok, so I guess he's a little bit biased, but he's a wonderful source of support for me all the time. Check out his blog if you'd like to read this entire piece.(johnmccosh.blogspot.com).

Thanks for the vote of confidence, John!