Leaving my home as a young women in her early twenties was this amazing moment! I had been under my mama's roof forever and between her, my dad, Dave and Suzette I had guidance from everyone! I took all of it for granted especially in those teenage years. I knew everything at sixteen and they knew nothing!!!!!! Who were they kidding..........I knew the secrets to life already!!!! I was a prodigy!!!!! I still laugh at myself. By the time I was eighteen and finished high school I knew that I knew absolutely nothing and all of my parents knew everything. I swear, the older I get the less I know and I tell them all the time! They were so right about life and what to expect and how to make it out there. I truly had no idea at sixteen! If only I knew how smart they were then it would have really helped me avoid being grounded every week!!!!
I was lucky because I had four parents. Of course I had my mom and she was married to Dave and so when I was at my mama's house Dave took on the dad role and he did an amazing job! They are no longer married but he is still a huge part of my life! My dad, Steve, married Suzette when I was very young and when I was at their house Suzette took on the role as my mom and she is still married to my dad and so as you can imagine, she is truly an amazing fixture in my life and always will be. On a side note, Suzette also suffers from a chronic illness so she can really relate to my stories about doctors, tests and the frustrations that come along with not being well.
No matter what home I was in or which parent I was talking to one thing was always consistent, we were taught that we could do anything in this world and the sky was the limit for us! We were taught that nothing and no one could hold us back except for us. I have two sisters and a brother. Holly grew up to be a corporate psychologist. Stephanie went to school to be a veterinary technician. Jeffrey went to school to make videos and movies. I grew up and became an accountant. You see, each of us had dreams as different as the next and we always had the support of all of our parents. It was amazing!
I have carried on this feeling of being able to do anything through out my life. I was confident when I moved thousands of miles away from my families. I was confident as I finished school......ok, Tim knows that there were many nights of sitting at my desk crying saying that I could not do it! I went back to what I had always been told and I finished. Tim and I are separated right now by a state line and it is hard, it is sad and feels never ending but it turns out Tim's mom and dad also taught him that he could do anything in this world and now everyone is telling us we can get through this. I know we can and we will, we were both brought up to believe in ourselves and the ones we love.
This lesson has been more important in fighting my disease than I had ever imagined it would. When I first started getting sick everyone rallied around and told me that we can do this and we will all get through his. That carried over the years and through the constant changes in medications, diagnosis and just the everyday pain. It has been a trying year for me and my loved ones. I have been so sick for so long but do you think they ever get down about it......no! Again, they are all right beside me in my heart and everyone tells me we will get through this and everything will be ok! I believe them because they have always known more than me:-)
The key word in everything is the word we. We will get through this, we will deal with this, we are all in it together. These words of encouragement no longer come from just my family. They come from all of my friends and even complete strangers. This continuous support has allowed to remember that no matter how bad it gets WE will get through this. Tomorrow is a new day and WE will tackle it together. So, all you mom and dad's out there. Remind your kids today that they can do anything and will always have your love and support. I apologize for all of us kids, those know it all teenage years are brutal and believe me, we eventually see what you are trying to teach us and we see that we actually knew nothing and you have always known everything.
https://www.wepay.com/donations/danica-s-doctor-delima
Another great one. ;-)
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