I am headed out the door this Christmas morning -- with my husband and two little boys -- to my sister's house where our family members will gather to celebrate the spirit of the season. There will be good food and good company and good laughs -- and good gifts too. And while I have managed to create a mini wish list -- I'm liking decorative tin stars this year and I'll always take the gift of a pedicure -- there is only one gift I really want. Time.

I have been surviving breast cancer for two years. I've seen my oldest child march off to kindergarten and my youngest son grow into an independent little soul. I've seen my hair grow, my anxiety diminish, and my writing career blossom. Time is quite a gift. And I want more of it.

I want to see my kids tackle first grade and preschool. I want to further develop my writing pursuits. And I want meet my sister's new baby, due at the end of May.

I believe in my head and my heart and my gut that I have a lot more time left on this planet. But just to be safe, I'm keeping time on my wish list for as long as I can. Because all ll I really want for Christmas -- every Christmas -- is time.

Kim Taylor is a 45-year-old single mother who lives in Suwannee County, Florida and is proud to have successfully raised one daughter -- a graduate of the University of Florida. Kim enjoys outdoor activities like camping as well as sewing, crafting, and carpentry projects. She is most at peace spending time with her family, working as a youth volunteer -- and raising awareness for breast cancer. It's a interest she acquired just two years ago, compliments of a personal encounter with the disease that has taught her to let the little things go, to appreciate every sunrise, to make every moment matter.

Alyssa Bruno, who is five years old, has been diagnosed with diffuse pontine glioma, a brain stem cancer. With a birthday card and a penny for good luck, you can help little Alyssa of Henrietta celebrate her birthday. On August 2, when Alyssa turns six years old, the Federation of Social Workers will deliver all the birthday cards and lucky pennies to Alyssa.

The request began as an email send out by one of Alyssa's teachers. She sent out the email requesting birthday cards and lucky pennies for Alyssa, with an additional request that the person receiving the email forward it on to others. As of now, the federation has received 35 birthday cards for Alyssa. If you would like to brighten the day of a little girl who is facing cancer on her very special day, send her a birthday card to:

Alyssa Bruno Birthday Cards
Federation of Social Workers
167 Flanders Street (D-12)
Rochester, New York 14619

Don't forget the lucky penny!

We just had a family water balloon toss -- me, my husband, and our two little boys. Little hands helped fill tiny balloons that were tossed and fumbled and rolled all over our sidewalk and driveway. Our game resulted in wet clothing and wet hair and lots of laughs. And when we walked inside to prepare for dinner, Joey -- five years old -- said, fun is good for the body. I told him that he is so right -- fun is good for the body, And this one fact really needs no scientific proof or validation -- although I'm sure research is out there to support this simple truth. Fun is simply good for the body. And anyone who has felt the aftermath of fun knows what I mean. It sends good vibes through the body, it relieves stress, it refreshes and recharges, it lightens the load.

So try to incorporate some fun into your weekend -- organize your own water balloon toss, fly a kite, take a bike ride, go rock climbing or sailing or swimming. Whatever you choose, consider it a gift to your body. Celebrate yourself. Celebrate life. Celebrate Independence Day. Set yourself free and enjoy all the moments you have at your disposal. And if you like what you feel, try having fun every day.

My mom just wished me a happy birthday and said she recalls vividly the days of June 19th and 20th -- way back in 1970. She remembers June 19th because she was admitted to the hospital on this day and June 20th because this was the day she gave birth to me. Her own birthday is just two days from now -- but it is my birthday that is more memorable, more joyous, more etched in her mind. And so it is not my birthday -- today -- that evokes emotion in me or makes me feel nostalgic about the day a life was born. The days my own two babies were born -- January 3 and May 30 -- are the birthdays that are most powerful for me. These are the days when I personally pushed two big boys into the world -- and for me, that is a cause for a celebration.

I will still celebrate my birthday today -- with a day spent with my boys, a dinner out with my husband, perhaps some gifts, and the thrill of knowing I've lived to the age of 36 after a breast cancer diagnosis at age 34. So it will be a happy day for sure. And I am thankful to my mom for pushing me into the world so I can know the true pleasure of birthdays that are not my own.

Years ago, and I mean years ago, I was part of a household staff that worked in the mansion of a magistrate. Despite his considerable wealth, and the fact that he paid others to take care of almost all the daily tasks of running a large home, I found him each morning in the kitchen making soup for the day.

When you are young, you take some of the oddest jobs, that in retrospect, do not seem to have any bearing on your eventual professional successes. But I digress. Back to the story. One morning, he gave me quite a long lecture on the health benefits of homemade soup. I admit I have been fascinated and a fan of soups ever since.

Soups are relatively inexpensive to make, and can be packed with nutrients. You throw all the ingredients into a large pot and leave it to simmer on the back burner of the stove, or in a slow cooker, until hours later, with a crust of bread and side salad, you have a satisfying meal. At the end of the day, in the small amusements of a stay-at-home mother, I can almost imagine someone else has made dinner -- because in many ways -- soup makes itself.

To celebrate spring, the American Institute for Cancer Research is offering delicious soup recipes loaded with cancer-fighting nutrients and phytochemicals such as Black Bean Soup with Avocado and Watercress; Fresh Spinach Soup; Spring Vegetable Soup; Chilled Strawberry Soup with Mint; and Asparagus and Scallion Soup with Almonds.