A lot of athletes are known for being superstitious, but I think baseball & softball players are the nuttiest. When I was playing softball, I was on a traveling team with some of the most superstitious girls ever. We’d put our shoes on the same way before every game, sit in the same seats in the car on the way to the game, listen to the same song over and over, and even stop chewing gum once we got to a certain point in our warm up. I’m not as superstitious as I used to be, but I have a few lucky charms that make me feel better when I’m feeling anxious.

The Christmas after my grandmother passed away, my aunt Kathy & Uncle Bill gave me a locket with my grandmother’s picture in it. I wear it all the time, but especially when I am flying on a plane. I don’t really know why, but I feel safe with it on, like my gramma won’t let the plane crash. I clutched it desperately when I was pregnant. The doctors tried to get me to remove it for my emergency C-Section, but I kinda sorta freaked out so they let me keep it on.
Grandmother's Locket

When Maddie was transferred to a different hospital, one of the NICU nurses at my hospital came into my room and handed me Maddie’s first hat. “I thought you might like this,” she said. I CLUNG to that hat. I smelled it, rubbed it on my cheek, even kissed it. For the 68 days Maddie was in the hospital, I had that hat with me. It was my connection to Madeline when I couldn’t physically be with her. I treated it almost like rosary beads – I would turn it around in my hands as I thought of my baby.
Maddie's First Hat

My gramma wore a guardian angel pin on her shirt every day. She had a bunch of the pins, and when I went to college, she gave me one. I still have it, and I keep it in my wallet. I like to think it guards my finances!
Guardian Angel Pin

My friend Lissa is a jewelry designer (and if you want to contact her, let me know), and right after Maddie was born she came to the NICU to give me a necklace with Maddie’s monogram and a guardian angel charm. I wear it all the time (on the same chain as the locket), but someday I will pass it on to her. If she’s a good girl. And she gives me a really awesome mother’s day present to replace it.
Maddie's Monogram angel charm

Lissa just put together another charm that I’ve added to my chain (yeah, it’s a little crowded, so what?). Last month I made a “No Turk” symbol that all of Jackie!’s friends could put on their Facebook pages, desktops, etc. Lissa took the symbol and turned it into a tiny charm. I am soooo going to put “jewelry designer” on my resume now! (click on the picture for a better view)
No Turks!

At 7:30 pacific time tomorrow, July 28th, Jackie!’s brain surgery starts. I will have ALL my talismen with me as I sit at work, starving for an update, heart in my throat. Please keep Jackie! and her family in your thoughts. I mean, how can you NOT think about a woman who wore this shirt to her pre-op appointment?
Head Case
A super awesome shirt that a super awesome person made her, I might add.

Mike thinks I’m loony – I’m not the only one with lucky charms, am I? Well, if you have ’em, grab ’em. Jackie! Needs all the lucky ju-jus she can get.