Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Here For A Time; Here For A Purpose

Don't we sometimes have to throw ourselves off the deep end in order that we get with the program...

Choose to be "in life" participate, rather than just floating along watching as life passes us by....

God has designed each of us for a specific purpose; job/ occupation, however, if you are like me....not very swift at times, it takes but a swift kick in the pants to get us up and motivated...

What is it about life that motivates me; whether it be; Now or years back?

One thing is for certain; LIFE definitely has its seasons!

My manuscript; which is basically a run down of my life broken down into fragments; pieces-seasons.

Where shall I start; Born in Vernon, British Columbia in the late 1960's, due to the breakup of my parents marriage, we my mom, brother and I came down by Greyhound bus to Vancouver where mom grew up; and into the safety of grandma's house.

We were only there a very short time until mom found a place she could barely afford.  We lived there about two or so years, that was until (only by the Grace of God)my life was spared, when a young driver sped around a corner just as I was stepping from in between two parked cars.

I was 5 years old

In hospital and barely alive; I laid there motionless, but as my mom would describe it, she knew I would pull through because, though I lay in unconsciousness for two weeks or so, I would be constantly moaning.

Years later, just thinking about it, though I have no recollection of it, from where I was, to where I am today....BY THE GRACE OF GOD GO I!

From there, I don't know if it was by chance, but Grandma's house was about to be torn down to make way for condos, as did we....Paralyzed from the near fatal hit and run, no one really knew if I'd ever walk again?

So since we and grandma were all  needing to find a place to live....again, we moved in with grandma..

Two hospitals and years of rehab later, and me being partially paralyzed, I was able to "Get up" and walk.

Now, the last thing I want to do is make jokes about paralysis....because as I well know, sometimes, it is no laughing matter!

From there, school was an up and down battle.....depression set in within my latter years of high school and never really left me until decades later.  And though the severe depression is a thing of the past, there are moments when I can easily see myself slipping, digressing back into my "old ways."

That is scarey!

So from there, high school, like any after grad young person, I wanted to follow my dreams of acting, writing and traveling.....


Well, not right away, as I got my drivers license at 17, moved out at 19 and supported myself with a small cash settlement and driving for a chicken restaurant.

I enrolled in part time studies at several local colleges; writing and journalism were my passions....still are today....I am a "News junky"

In between times, my brother who was living at a semi-independent group home for the mentally challenged, suggested that I apply  for a vacant driver position; this was having to deal with two autistic young men taking them to and from their daily activities.

WHAT A CHORE, but I said  yes, not really understanding what that all entailed.... One young man wore diapers and a protective helmet while the other had a tendency to open a car door, while in motion, and run for it....

And that was for a SEASON!

From there, job wise, I went on to a beach front A&W at Vancouver's "English Bay."  There I worked for a couple of years; 4 in total until I had issues with the manager.   Well, let's say, we just had our part of the ways....

After that, I hit a cross roads, no job meant I was free to do some traveling...though I don't know what it was that got me turned back at the Canada/US boarder traveling by car, however my next mode of transportation was plane and train....

One thing though I didn't really want to do upon my return from travel, was to move back home with mom and grandma monitoring my every move...

So I went out an found myself another driving job....Courier

Life on the road....somehow, though I did not really know him, I must have got the love of the "road" from my dad....He traveled around to different bars playing a Marriott of electric instruments.

I loved the long drives and hours as it kept me away from dealing with problems.....

 Bad solution, because problem, financial and alike began to mount....so I ran as far as I could, but just far enough that I could be back in Vancouver in a matter of an hour or less.

Well, even though the Fraser Valley isn't that far away, I can remember a time, when "once" I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Abbotsford Airshow, and where I vowed that one day, Abbotsford would be my home....

But there has been a lot of bumps in the road to get me here and each, in itself has its own story.

Not to mention....now having an actual "life" that I am happy with.....A forgiving God who loves me as I am and a husband and two wonderful daughters.

All is worth its weight in gold!!!!


Monday, March 25, 2013

Having Always known "Disability

+Since this is Cerebral Palsy awareness day; and though not necessarily C P, disability is something that has been in my vocabulary.
  1. head injury
  2. epilepsy
  3. scoliosis
  4. blindness
  5. mental disability
  6. lack of coordination 
  7. cerebral palsy 
All are conditions that have profoundly affected the way I see other people and how I see life.  Sometimes, it how people view the disability rather than the person that has to change.  And the change can not begin without there being a proactive changwe in us; the person with the said disability.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

MY SISTER - MY BEST FRIEND



Hi my name is Ellie-Marie

And this is daddy and my sister Emily


She is my best Friend,
But she has got something called “special needs.”

Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus 

The doctors knew about it before she was even born

So she was born in a special hospital
BC Children’s Hospital

But to me, she is fine---she is just “my sister” who can’t walk yet!


See the size of her head
She was born with something called; Hydrocephalus 
That means the fluid in her brain does not flow quite right

She needed a shunt to fix the problem when she was 4 months old
The operation worked, but did not fix it the problem

Emily will have hydrocephalus for the rest of her life

which means operations called revisions to fix her shunt. Her first revision was at 23 months of age July 2012.



Did I say she is my best friend?