From where I sit right now, I reflect back on a 35 year life that has been filled with a variety of experiences, that have influenced the creation of my life's trail and the choices I make for the future. The events of my life this year brought me to a place where I had to narrow my focus for a time, so that I could utilize my strength in ways that I never have. Granted, my strength brought me through a childhood filled with stress, silence, and extreme responsibility.
With this strength, I accomplished completion of a Bachelors degree after the birth of a daughter and son, served my local and wider community as a social worker, and as a children's museum program developer.
This year I recovered from an automobile collision that provided me with experiences of head injury, broken clavicle and rib, and 7 fractured vertebrae. This took place in the middle of my pursuit of a Masters degree in Education and certification to teach art. After regaining my cognitive processing a month and a half after the accident, I found my creative focus had to be narrowed to recovery efforts throughout the day. I found that the commitments I had made to expressions of love for my family, my environment, and for humanity served as the sources for the strength required for this recovery.
Each and every morning I have always felt thankful for my existence, and each and every night I have gone to bed feeling responsible to have done at least one thing during that day that served my family, my environment or humanity.
Given the strength that was built by this, I am now able to finish my last semester of course work for my academic goal, continue to raise two wonderful children, and celebrate 14 years of marriage.