We mustn't dwell. No, not today. We can't. Not on Jennie Baxla Day!

Hear ye, hear ye! Let it be known that henceforth this, the 28th day of April, shall be known as Jennie Baxla Day throughout the land!

Okay I don’t really know how to declare a new holiday, but I think we should declare a new holiday, and that day is today. Jennie’s birthday. Now Jennie Baxla Day.

What is Jennie Baxla Day? It’s a day to remember Jennie, what she did, the things she loved, and to be thankful for her. Jennie was here for 40 years. It sucks that it wasn’t longer - it should absolutely have been longer - but that’s still 40 years that the world was a better place. The world is still a better place for having had her in it. Jennie Baxla Day is for remembering that and for being grateful.

Yes, for many people we already do this. Jennie made an impact on our lives in so many different ways, and not a day goes by that we don’t think about her. The loss is still overwhelming sometimes.

But Jennie never wanted cancer or her death to define who she was. Jennie Baxla Day is about telling cancer to fuck off and being intentional about focusing on all the wonderful parts of Jennie’s life. Her brains. Her humor. Her compassion. Her nerdiness. Her talent. All the things that she brought into our lives, and all the ways we still feel her in our lives today.

So how do you celebrate Jennie Baxla Day? There are so many different ways!

• Read a book

• Watch a favorite TV show or movie

• Go out into nature

• Pet a dog

• Eat your favorite food

• Listen to or look at birds

• Watch a squirrel hop around

• Do volunteer work

• Drink coffee

• Visit some ducks

• Go to a used book store and enjoy the smell of old paper

• Help an animal

• Write something

• Tell a friend about something you love

• Tell a friend about Jennie specifically

• Be kind

Those are just some of the ways you can observe Jennie Baxla Day, but I think the last one would be the most important one to her. It’s can be hard to be patient with other people, and to recognize that everyone has their own struggles. Whenever I would be quick to annoyance with someone in a store, in traffic, wherever, she would remind me that we don’t know what their life is and what they’re going through, and that maybe they deserve some grace. Jennie wanted us to be kind, not just to others but to ourselves. She wanted us to take care of each other. Jennie Baxla Day is the perfect excuse to remember that, and to practice it.

So Happy Jennie Baxla Day to all who observe. May your day be filled with sunshine and dogs and kindness.