I recently saw this question posted on Facebook: What would you name the autobiography of your life?
I decided that I would name my autobiography "Challenge Accepted." Boy, would that be accurate! It seems like every experience in my life has been one where I have had to tackle some challenge or another. Here are some highlights (well, not really highlights until I came out the victor on the other side, but you get the point) I would include in my autobiography:
-At age 19, I walked in to find the bodies of my best friend and another friend splattered across the wall and on the floor after one of the guys decided he couldn't live anymore and killed both himself and my best friend. This single event TRULY changed the path of my life in an instant.
-At age 22, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I was told I would more than likely not be able to have children. By the time Daniel and I got together when I was 25, a very blunt doctor told Daniel to decide very quickly how many children he wanted with me and to start making them. The doctor wasn't very confident that I could have children to begin with, and each year added scar tissue that made conceiving even more unlikely. As you all know, I have two beautiful, healthy girls.
-At age 33, I decided I was going to go back to college to get my teaching degree. If anyone tells you that attending college full-time (I maintained a 4.0 GPA, by the way) while raising two small children, working part-time, and helping a spouse run a business is easy, they are lying. This is probably at the top of the list for accomplishments I am proud of.
-At age 36, I came down with a case of shingles that developed extreme complications. After four days in the hospital, I spent four months on the couch recovering, not really knowing if I was going to fully recover. Being sent home with strict instructions to use a walker like an elderly person, and having nerve damage in my feet, sure did change my perspective on life.
-At age 37, my husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Some may say this is his challenge, not mine. Oh, so not true! A mental illness really does affect an entire network- family, friends, employers. This is the moment I realized the support group I have surrounding me.
It's funny how some of the most life-changing events didn't even make it into the highlight list. I've been divorced, but that seems so minor compared to the other challenges I've been through. Maybe this really would be a pretty good book.
You have had some real challenges, it sounds like. It also sounds like you are taking life one step at a time and finding ways to enjoy your journey. Thanks for this post. It is very inspiring!
ReplyDeleteP.S. After some cyber-security issues, I have my new blog up and running...feel free to visit, follow and comment if you would life! Thanks and have a great Thursday!
http://dayinthelife2013.blogspot.com/
I saw this post on Facebook the other day and was surprised - I don't know why I thought you weren't writing here any more.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow then when I tried to write a comment from my phone it all went pear shaped. I know you've touched briefly on some of these issues over the years but grouped all together like this and all I can say is wow.
Your positivity that shines through in your outlook on life and your words are even more amazing given what you've endured. I've said it before and I'll say it again - you truly inspire me
Fi, I'm as surprised as you are to see me still writing here. I had literally clicked "delete blog" one morning and thought I would just give up because I was having a hard time keeping up, and I thought I didn't really have anything interesting to say. That afternoon, one of my coworkers came up to me and said she had found my personal blog, told me how much she enjoyed it, and said how positive it was. I decided that I needed to continue, even though I still didn't think I had too much to say. We'll see how it goes through the school year. If nothing else, a post here and there will be nice just to keep up with my blogging friends.
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