I did not come from a charmed life. I grew up in a two bedroom apartment in my younger years with my best friend and arch enemy, my sister. The two of us were showered with unconditional love at every turn we made in life. My mama would choose to go without new things for years so that we would not have to wear shoes with holes in them to school. She scraped all of her extra money together so that we could grow up as normal as the kids down the road in the beautiful housing developments we longed to live in. My sister was the athlete at a young age stretching her talents from soft ball to the much dreaded summer of soccer while I danced and twirled through the years. Hand me downs were like Christmas and at times were our new clothes for the up and coming school year. If you could miraculously transport yourself back to my child hood I think you may have a preconceived notion of fear and anger and jealousy for those around who had things we did not. However, I hate to disappoint you because that is the last thing you would ever find.
If you were to ask us then if we thought of ourselves as poor and helpless and needing so much more than what could be provided we would stare at you dumbfounded. For we thought we were the richest children alive that had everything they needed and those small items we wanted, they were just wants and on very special occasions those wanted items would show up miraculously in our lives. As we grew up and family dynamics changed our simple needs never did.
This month is month of giving thanks for what we all have in our lives. Love, acceptance and the presence of daily on going laughter. I am blessed to have been brought up the way I had been. I knew love and that love continues to grow stronger everyday. I find old relationships being renewed and building again from the ground up. It is here I feel true unconditional love that never wavered even when I through it was completely gone. I may face a rough road ahead with my Lupus but I would never wish it away from my life for it has helped to create a more solid and powerful simple me. I will bear this disease with grace, honor and unwavering strength because I know I am never alone. I still find that unconditional love around every corner in my life now........even if it is thousands of miles away.
My thankfulness overflows through my heart and out to my loved ones. I am happy and proud of where I come from and the parents who raised me to be the strong, independent women you see before you today.
