An Epiphany

When I started this blog, I thought it would be a good idea to share some thing that I written awhile back. I always love doing something that I think will benefit others, and I thought my words of advice could do just that.

Well, I've decided I'm not going to post any more of that letter for awhile. Don't worry, I'll post the rest of it a little later on. I believe I need to focus on the things happening in my life right now and go back to things that I've previously written when I need a boost.

Speaking of now, right now my life is pretty good. Yes, I have my share of difficulties, but who doesn't? Everyone may not experience physical pain, but he/she might experience some emotional pain. Pain is pain. While there are varying degrees of intensity, one still experiences raw emotions that come along with it. I find myself saying, "I'm so thankful for..." at different times during the week. I have a wonderful mom who tirelessly devotes herself to helping me while I recover. She doesn't mind that she has to get the wheelchair out of the car countless times when I go with her. She doesn't mind that she has to help me get out of bed and get dressed everyday. I'm so thankful for her, even though I do have my moments that I'm irritable and frustrated. Not many people could do what she does. She also helps me laugh when I'm in pain. When I'm at therapy, she will make jokes just to help me focus on something else.

I also have an awesome physical therapist(PT) who helps me to refocus when I lose sight of my goal. He also makes me laugh. We talk about all kinds of things while I'm exercising so I won't think about how many leg lifts I've done. He knows what I'm feeling just by an expression on my face(just like my mom, but he's not quite reached her level of expertise, but he's getting there). :)These two people have seen me laugh, and they've seen me cry, but they are still with me on this journey. For that, I'm so grateful.

Finally Finished...

this first semester! Woo hoo! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. During the semester, I was required to keep another blog for one of my classes among other things, so that kept me away from this one for awhile. Thankfully, I have a nice long break.

I go back to the pain doctor on Tuesday. That appointment is so long, but I have to go. On a lighter note, I'm excited for Christmas. I'm going to share something that I wrote last year about Christmas when I was going through a very difficult time.

We all know that Christmas is a time to reflect on all the things we have, right? Well, I discovered something new this Christmas.


We all hear that it's not about the gifts, it's about the birth of Jesus. My question to you is : "Do you really believe that?" Think about it, If all the gifts were taken away, no Christmas tree in the living room, no family get-togethers, would you STILL enjoy Christmas?? You know what, we're supposed to still enjoy it. The media has commercialized Christmas so much that it's become one big money-making scheme for all the stores.


I realized more than ever this year that it's not about how many presents you have under the tree with your name on it or how much money you get, it's about the memories that you create during the holiday season by spending time with your family. It's about the stupid jokes that someone in your family tells that will make you laugh until you cry, it's about your little cousin, niece, or nephew getting up in front of the family and singing their favorite Christmas song (even if it's not in tune or they don't have all the words "just right." Life isn't about perfection, it's about enjoyment! Going back to what I said earlier, I already knew that Jesus' birth was the REAL reason to celebrate Christmas, but I didn't value or appreciate the "little things", if you will, that go along with Christmas. Sometimes everybody gets so caught up in buying gifts for people they love and getting the house decked out for Christmas that we all take for granted the memories that are created anytime we do anything with our family! This blog isn't just about "Christmas Memories", it's about the everyday memories that we create with our families.

Writing Keeps me Sane

I don't know what I would do without it. Since I know that you're dying to hear the rest of my letter, I will oblige and post. (Hears the thunderous applause in the background.)

Part V: Don’t Live Life with Regrets and Fears

As I mentioned earlier, don’t not do something because you’re afraid to do it or afraid of the outcome. If you do, you’ll always wonder what it would have been like. My philosophy is to live each day to the fullest. Learn to live more, laugh more, and love more along the way. You never know who you might bump into on your journey that might need that “push” like you did to face your fears.

Part VI: Be an Inspiration

Whether you like it or not, people are always watching you. You get to choose whether or not you are a good or bad influence on other people. I didn’t get to choose my life or what obstacles came with it, but I have chosen to be an inspiration. I try my best to smile at people in pain because you never know who’s having a bad day! Don’t get me wrong, have my good days and bad days, too. It’s not so much about what you’re going through as how you handle it. I have to rely on God’s grace because without him I wouldn’t be alive today.

These past few months have been very trying for me. But, I was reminded that there IS light at the end of the tunnel. I was reading a story about a woman who has Crohns(for those of you who don't know what that is, it is a very painful disease that affects your small and large intestine. She has to take lots of medicine, and we all know everything has its drawbacks. I know you may be thinking, Has she had this her entire life? The answer is, "No." I was reminded that no matter how bad I feel, I can't quit. Even if my story doesn't help but one person, it's worth it. So, as I head into the "homestretch" of this week, I feel rejuvenated. Enjoy this!

Just a Quick Post

School is keeping me incredibly busy, so that's why I haven't posted in awhile.

One of my classes is very small, only seven people total. It's very interesting to watch how people change week to week. When I first came into the class only two people offered to help. As the weeks have passed, a person who always brushed me off is starting to come around. On the other hand, some people still haven't changed, but oh well. I live my life for me, not to please anyone else.
I've been stressed over this one class for awhile now. Needless to say, last week's class was the best it had ever been! And to top it off, I actually did better on the assignment than I thought I would. Ninety percent of the time the things that we worry about, never happen.

Life can be so hectic, but thankfully I have at least two (that I see regularly) people who will kindly remind me of the importance of breathing. It's good to have people in your life that keep you grounded, and remind you to take a step back and look and what is really important.

Searching for Gems

Things are moving steadily along. My professor did show up for the next class, and so far, it's been great.

I've made some new friends, too. One in particular is a true gem. Every year, on the first day of class, I try to find at least one person to help me in each class. I observe how they approach me, their attitude, etc. So far, I've always been able to find those people, not many, but a few. This girl told me to let her know, whatever I needed, just let her know. She even offered to help me when I leave, without me even asking her! Now that's the kind of person that I want to be associated with. Sure, I have those people who offer to help for the wrong reasons, but it's not hard for me to weed those people out rather quickly. I can read people pretty well. Having a disability, you learn to size people up within the first few minutes, (some even seconds) because you can't take the chance of having the wrong people around you.

I even had a guy ask me if I needed help, and I said, "Yes, I need to go to Room (the number). What class are you going to?" He wasn't going to the same class, so we went our separate ways. Well, much to my surprise, when he go out of the door and realized where I had to go, he changed his mind. He said,"I can take you." By this time I was really impressed. Most people are too busy to even give something like that a second thought. The classroom that I had to go has to be rearranged just a little so that I can be comfortable. Several students were already in the classroom, but no one offered to help. I told him what had to be moved, and he did it without complaining. I was so grateful for someone who wanted to help, he didn't do it because someone told him to or because someone would pat him on the back because none of the students said anything. Little did they know that they witnessed a rare occurance, a genuine act of kindness. It's sad that an act of kindness is such a rare occurance in today's society. People have forgotten to treat others as they would like to be treated.

Well, that's all for now!

Telling a Little Bit of Everything

I finally have some free time to post. I've started college, and as I've told people it was harder on my body than my brain (at least for now). :) It's different, but a good different. The classes aren't as long, and my professors are nice. So, we're off to a good start.

One unusual thing that happened today was my professor didn't show up. For my first class, nonetheless. It's not what you think...the last time he checked his schedule, it was a Tuesday/Thursday class, not Monday/Wednesday/Friday. They had to switch some around. Evidently, they didn't make sure the teachers were aware of them. :) Other than that, it was a typical first day of college.

Therapy is progessing, slowly but surely. That's expected when you've had ongoing health problems. For right now, I'm going to therapy right after school, so we don't have to make mutiple trips. We're taking it day by day. I've learned not to take things so seriously. I still have to work on that though.

I know I've been posting about my life, but I don't want to give away all my secrets too early. I want to keep you interested and change it up a little. If you know what to expect, you might quit reading.
Ialso plan on compling many things that I written into a book. Many of you may think I won't have anything to write about if I post everything from that assignment and beyond. My response to that is," By the time I'm ready to write my book, I'll have PLENTY to write about. I have enough experiences everyday to add at least a whole other chapter! Really, if you stop and think about it, we all do!

As I Promised...

Part II: Making the Most Out of What You Have

I can’t stand people who complain everyday of their life. I 've found that you feel a lot better when you focus on the little kids who are dying of cancer or the ones who have no shelter. Do everyone a favor and at least act like your living for more than the latest fashions or newest haircut; make sure your life has some substance to it. I’ve learned that if you make the most out of what you have instead of going out and buying whatever it is that you think will move you up on the ladder of society, you are much more confident because you had to be creative!

Part III: Having Respect for Others

I’m only a teenager right now, but because of the things that I’ve been through, I have a greater respect for life as well as the people in it. For example, when you see a person in a wheelchair that needs to go inside, open the door for them. Don‘t let it slam in their face! Think about how you would feel if someone did that to you. So often, people get wrapped up in what they’re doing that they forget to stop and think about the world around them.

Part IV: Learning to Look at the World Differently

I guess you could say that the things that I’ve been through have shaped my life-in a good way. For example, I look at the world through a different set of eyes. I have compassion for the little baby with a cleft foot, and most people would look at that as something odd. My advice to that person would be: Don’t you think that you have things about yourself that aren’t “perfect,” like a funny shaped nose or a larger foot than some people?

A Letter with My Thoughts

A Journey Awaits You

The first question you might ask is, “What journey are you talking about?” My response is, “The journey of your life.” If you waste all of your life not doing something you love because of fear, you will never know what it is to truly experience life. I believe life is all about the ups and downs that come with it. Since you never know what to expect, don’t worry about a thousand things that might happen, sit back and enjoy the journey.

Part I: Having a Good Attitude No Matter What

I have faced many obstacles in my young life so I think I can offer you some valuable advice. No matter if the world seems as if it’s falling apart around you, stop and think about all the things you do have instead of the ones you don’t. Also, don’t panic if things don’t go the way that you want them to go; it could be worse! Don’t be motivated by your feelings; be motivated by something inside you. In other words, listen to that small voice inside of you that just won’t let you give up.

The following paragraphs are excerpts from an assignment I had to do about my life. I will post more later on.

I'm Back

I haven't been on here in awhile because I forgot about it. But don't worry, I've got plenty of things to post!

Summer is here, but I haven't been able to do much because of my hip. I'm excited about starting therapy again on Monday, though. I had to take a break for awhile. I won't go into details because it might gross some of you out. This supposed to be fun, and I intend to keep it that way.

Something else I'm excited about is starting college in August.
I've closed one chapter in my life, and I'm ready to open another.