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Margarete Cassalina

Nationally Recognized Speaker & Author of Beyond Breathing <meta name="description" content="" />

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Social Media

If you’ve connected deeply with Margarete’s books, find her public speaking events empowering and believe that #loveneverends become a part of her community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Connect with others and celebrate the commitment to fully living LIFE and fully giving LOVE every day.

Feeling social? Become a part of Margarete’s See You At Sunset social media campaign! Tag your photos, reviews, and comments with #SeeYouAtSunset and #LoveNeverEnds to voice your support for bringing awareness to children and families battling CF.

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Margarete Cassalina

margarete.cassalina

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📚Author
👩‍💼Speaker
📣Advocate for @CF_Foundation
⬇️ My latest book release ⬇️

margarete.cassalina

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May 30

Open
What's your sign?

Who had a great holiday weekend? 
Raise your hand. 

My hand is waving high, and my heart is full of love and gratitude, and my stomach is filled with too many burgers and dogs. But hey, it wouldn't be a holiday weekend without a bit of overindulgence, right?

However, some of us were deeply missing our loved ones who have 'moved up’ to heaven, myself included. 

On holidays our hearts weigh a little heavier. 

Yesterday, I was missing my Jena. 
She moved up on 12/4/2006 at the age of 13. For 17 years she usually sends a quick 'hello' with a penny, a song, or the number 13 or 313.

Yesterday, I had stopped at a store and she was weighing heavily on my mind.

I opened my car door, and there was a blue letter J. 
Her favorite color was blue. 
Her nickname was "J" 
Coincidence? 
No, I do not believe in them.
It was my Jena stopping by to say hello to her mom.

I'm sure some of you were missing a loved one during the holiday weekend, too.

Would you mind sharing below who your departed loved one is and what their sign to you is?

It would help others who are hurting to know they are not alone and that love never ends.

Bless you, all my fabulous friends!

What`s your sign?

Who had a great holiday weekend?
Raise your hand.

My hand is waving high, and my heart is full of love and gratitude, and my stomach is filled with too many burgers and dogs. But hey, it wouldn`t be a holiday weekend without a bit of overindulgence, right?

However, some of us were deeply missing our loved ones who have `moved up’ to heaven, myself included.

On holidays our hearts weigh a little heavier.

Yesterday, I was missing my Jena.
She moved up on 12/4/2006 at the age of 13. For 17 years she usually sends a quick `hello` with a penny, a song, or the number 13 or 313.

Yesterday, I had stopped at a store and she was weighing heavily on my mind.

I opened my car door, and there was a blue letter J.
Her favorite color was blue.
Her nickname was "J"
Coincidence?
No, I do not believe in them.
It was my Jena stopping by to say hello to her mom.

I`m sure some of you were missing a loved one during the holiday weekend, too.

Would you mind sharing below who your departed loved one is and what their sign to you is?

It would help others who are hurting to know they are not alone and that love never ends.

Bless you, all my fabulous friends!
...

63 4

margarete.cassalina

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May 14

Open
A mother knows what unconditional love means.

A mother is capable of remarkable strength for the sake of her children.

A mother is the best non-paying job you willing work 24/7, 365...for the rest of your life.

These are my kids (1995)

They are my heart with arms, legs, and wings.
There is nothing I won't do for them.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who can wrap their kids in their arms and give them a hug.

And a special Mother's Day blessing to all the moms who can only carry their kids in their heart. #LoveNeverEnds 

You're always a mom, no matter where your kids are ❤

To Eric and Jena, I thank God everyday I was blessed to be your mother.

A mother knows what unconditional love means.

A mother is capable of remarkable strength for the sake of her children.

A mother is the best non-paying job you willing work 24/7, 365...for the rest of your life.

These are my kids (1995)

They are my heart with arms, legs, and wings.
There is nothing I won`t do for them.

Happy Mother`s Day to all the moms who can wrap their kids in their arms and give them a hug.

And a special Mother`s Day blessing to all the moms who can only carry their kids in their heart. #LoveNeverEnds

You`re always a mom, no matter where your kids are ❤

To Eric and Jena, I thank God everyday I was blessed to be your mother.
...

78 2

margarete.cassalina

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May 11

Open
Greetings from Santorini, Greece!

Continuing our ‘Celebrating cousin Scott’s 60th whirlwind European Adventure’ our group is down to just 4 of us.

We are doing our best to continue eating and drinking as if we were eight.  My liver and shrinking clothes can attest to that! But it is so worth the detox that’s ahead of me in New York.

Day 14: Chania, Crete, Greece
Day 15: Heraklion, Greece
Day 16: Santorini, Greece

Highlights from the past three days: Driving adventures through Crete, sheep roaming in the streets, boat ferries, gyros, souvlaki, old villages, monasteries, and doing shots of Raki! 

Next stop: one more vacation day in Heraklion and then travel back to New York!

Greetings from Santorini, Greece!

Continuing our ‘Celebrating cousin Scott’s 60th whirlwind European Adventure’ our group is down to just 4 of us.

We are doing our best to continue eating and drinking as if we were eight. My liver and shrinking clothes can attest to that! But it is so worth the detox that’s ahead of me in New York.

Day 14: Chania, Crete, Greece
Day 15: Heraklion, Greece
Day 16: Santorini, Greece

Highlights from the past three days: Driving adventures through Crete, sheep roaming in the streets, boat ferries, gyros, souvlaki, old villages, monasteries, and doing shots of Raki!

Next stop: one more vacation day in Heraklion and then travel back to New York!
...

178 8

margarete.cassalina

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May 5

Open
Greetings from Greece!

Continuing  our ‘Celebrating cousin Scott’s 60th whirlwind European Adventure’  our group has dubbed ourselves the ‘Windstar Drinking Package’ if that gives you any indication of how our time is going 😉

Day 8: Day at Sea 
Day 9: Gythion, Greece
Day 10: Monemvasia, Greece

Highlights from the past three days: spa, wine, Ouzo, baklava, rain, POURING RAIN, new friends, I think we bought an olive tree in Greece, wine, wine, SUN ☀️

Next stop Athens!

Greetings from Greece!

Continuing our ‘Celebrating cousin Scott’s 60th whirlwind European Adventure’ our group has dubbed ourselves the ‘Windstar Drinking Package’ if that gives you any indication of how our time is going 😉

Day 8: Day at Sea
Day 9: Gythion, Greece
Day 10: Monemvasia, Greece

Highlights from the past three days: spa, wine, Ouzo, baklava, rain, POURING RAIN, new friends, I think we bought an olive tree in Greece, wine, wine, SUN ☀️

Next stop Athens!
...

188 2

margarete.cassalina

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May 2

Open
Rome, Pompeii, Ponza and Windstar Cruise 🇮🇹🇬🇷

Rome, Pompeii, Ponza and Windstar Cruise 🇮🇹🇬🇷 ...

211 5

margarete.cassalina

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Apr 30

Open
Rome 🇮🇹

Rome 🇮🇹 ...

202 4

margarete.cassalina

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Apr 22

Open
When miracles turn 3 🎉 

#Blessing
#CelebrateYou 

You bring so much joy to anyone you’re around! ❤️

When miracles turn 3 🎉

#Blessing
#CelebrateYou

You bring so much joy to anyone you’re around! ❤️
...

170 30

margarete.cassalina

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Mar 14

Open
Happy 30th in Heaven, Jena ❤️
Jena Cassalina
3/13/93

Happy 30th in Heaven, Jena ❤️
Jena Cassalina
3/13/93
...

340 47

margarete.cassalina

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Jan 30

Open
Today’s PSA: Ruptured Appendix

So, a funny thing happened to me on Wednesday; my appendix ruptured.

Q: How did I know?
Q: Was I in crazy pain?
Q: Was I nauseous or sick?

A: Not really, no.

Q: Doesn’t that happen to kids?
A: Hey, at 54, I’m a kid at heart.

That’s why I’m writing this PSA today. 

Please seek a medical professional if you have a gut feeling something’s off. (Pun intended)

Here’s my recap:

Tuesday night, I was completely fine.

I woke up in pain in my lower right abdomen. 
By 10 am, it still was there.

There was snow in the forecast, so I went before the roads got bad. 
I was not in that much pain. On a scale of 1-10, I was at a 4.

I drove to Urgent Care to ‘rule things out’ and found a penny when I signed in.

Here is a quick test you can check at home if you suspect a problem:

1) Put left thumb on the belly button and pinky on the pelvic bone (Asis-Anterior Superior Iliac Spine). If there is pain where your middle finger lands, that could be appendicitis.

2) Bend/Lift, right leg at 90 degrees and it causes increase pain in lower right abdomen.

3) Applying light pressure and release (rebound test) on the abdomen causes increased pain. 

I had all three, and within 5 minutes, I was told to go to the hospital ASAP for a CT Scan (with contrast dye). 

Drove myself to the hospital, Marc met me there, and hours and tests later, I was in the Operating Room.

Official Diagnosis: acute appendicitis with generalized peritonitis and gangrene without abscess. 

Peritonitis: caused by bacterial infection after the rupture of an abdominal organ.

Gangrene: (Internal bacterial) progresses very fast. It’s fatal within 48 hours if you don’t receive treatment.

I spent a couple of days in the hospital with IV antibiotics and was sent home with antibiotics to recover for 1-2 weeks. No lifting anything heavier than 20 lbs for six weeks. 

So thankful I made it to the hospital when I did, and Thank God for modernized medicine.

👉 So, kids, the lesson is: It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

👉 Go and get checked out if you feel something isn’t right with your health.

🚨 Your life, literally, could depend on that.

Today’s PSA: Ruptured Appendix

So, a funny thing happened to me on Wednesday; my appendix ruptured.

Q: How did I know?
Q: Was I in crazy pain?
Q: Was I nauseous or sick?

A: Not really, no.

Q: Doesn’t that happen to kids?
A: Hey, at 54, I’m a kid at heart.

That’s why I’m writing this PSA today.

Please seek a medical professional if you have a gut feeling something’s off. (Pun intended)

Here’s my recap:

Tuesday night, I was completely fine.

I woke up in pain in my lower right abdomen.
By 10 am, it still was there.

There was snow in the forecast, so I went before the roads got bad.
I was not in that much pain. On a scale of 1-10, I was at a 4.

I drove to Urgent Care to ‘rule things out’ and found a penny when I signed in.

Here is a quick test you can check at home if you suspect a problem:

1) Put left thumb on the belly button and pinky on the pelvic bone (Asis-Anterior Superior Iliac Spine). If there is pain where your middle finger lands, that could be appendicitis.

2) Bend/Lift, right leg at 90 degrees and it causes increase pain in lower right abdomen.

3) Applying light pressure and release (rebound test) on the abdomen causes increased pain.

I had all three, and within 5 minutes, I was told to go to the hospital ASAP for a CT Scan (with contrast dye).

Drove myself to the hospital, Marc met me there, and hours and tests later, I was in the Operating Room.

Official Diagnosis: acute appendicitis with generalized peritonitis and gangrene without abscess.

Peritonitis: caused by bacterial infection after the rupture of an abdominal organ.

Gangrene: (Internal bacterial) progresses very fast. It’s fatal within 48 hours if you don’t receive treatment.

I spent a couple of days in the hospital with IV antibiotics and was sent home with antibiotics to recover for 1-2 weeks. No lifting anything heavier than 20 lbs for six weeks.

So thankful I made it to the hospital when I did, and Thank God for modernized medicine.

👉 So, kids, the lesson is: It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

👉 Go and get checked out if you feel something isn’t right with your health.

🚨 Your life, literally, could depend on that.
...

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Margarete Cassalina is a motivational speaker, award-winning author, and national advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Read More…

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