I think you’ll enjoy Labor Day on your trip. It was an interesting book, one I’m glad I read. And, as for buying SEW DEADLY for a friend—THANK YOU!!!! I’ll take all the “word spreading” I can get!

Have a safe trip tomorrow~!

Someone who has changed my life…. that would have to be my son, Daniel, who is 26 yrs old. When Daniel was 17 and a senior in high school he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and our world was turned upside down. He spent the first month of his senior year in the hospital. Now I’ll fast forward through all the heck we’ve been through to tell you how he’s changed my life. I am not the person that I used to be before his diagnosis. The person I used to be… well, let’s say I was very witchy, very defensive, and very paranoid. I lacked compassion and empathy for those who didn’t meet what I thought was “normal”. While Daniel was in the hospital my husband and I had a meeting with one of his counselors and it was during that meeting and the next Sunday’s sermon at church that my eyes were opened, and my heart was softened and MY change slowly started to occur. About a year after this event I found a wonderful class that teaches family/friends about mental illness. After one night of the class I knew I had to teach the class. Ever since then I have taught this class to many people. If it wasn’t for Daniel I would be a very unhappy person, living in the h$ll that I was living in before.

And as for someone who has supported me…. my precious grandmother who passed away in 2008 at the age of 97. Grandma Etta was always there for me. Even in my rebellious years, she always showed me unconditional love. When Daniel was diagnosed and my mother and sister were busy pointing the finger of blame at me (they said it was my poor parenting skills)… Grandma was always there, never judging me, only loving me.

So there you have it…. how I got to be where I am today.

Oh and BTW…. I checked out Labor Day to read on a road trip to FL tomorrow. AND I bought the last copy of Sew Deadly at Borders Tuesday night to send to a quilting friend….

I have a few. My aunt (who, actually is no longer married to my uncle) Mary brings something to my life I’m not sure I can explain other than “unconditional love.” She doesn’t have to love me, but she does. She doesn’t even have to keep in touch now that she’s parted ways with my uncle…yet she does. Her calls, her love, her support makes up for areas where that’s lacking.

There’s my children who make me believe I’m a good mom. And love me no matter what.

And, on a more recent level, I’d have to say my MS doctor and his nurse. Their experience, their compassion, and their encouragement not only got me through a difficult time but also taught me some lessons that carry me through the tough places in my life.

And my childhood friend, Lisa…who shoved a stack of papers (along with pencils and crayons) in my direction one rainy day and suggested we write books. That moment shaped who I am in so many ways. It gave me a dream and a place to escape/heal/learn in life I may not have discovered on my own.

My parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and a couple high school and college profs–all of them have shaped who I am, how I see the world, how I see myself.

So I’ll pick one as an example: My buddy Craig.

He’s an over-the-top fan of all things fiction, and he infected me with that enthusiasm by shoving a copy of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond book in my hands. I’d never read a thriller before. From Fleming, I branched out into reading mystery.

And then I wondered what it would be like to build my own world.

If it weren’t for the people in my life, my worlds, real and imagined, would be much less than what they are today.

My junior high school guidance counselor told me to ignore all the negative words I was being taunted with. He knew what I was capable of and gave me the courage and strength to do what I needed. I was the first in my family to have a college degree; I was the first in my family to hold a full-time job and I was the first to own my co-op.

My mom was a single parent with five children and I saw her put her life on hold to give us as much as she could and when I walked across the stage to receive my college degree, I knew I owed her my life.

My youngest sister because I saw what my guidance counselor saw in me and guided her to becoming the second daughter to graduate from college and I’m so proud of what she accomplished.

I could name my FHA -Home Ec teacher who taught me that I did have a voice as a woman in this world – that I could do anything I wanted. Which I promptly forgot when I found someone to marry me.

But I think I’m most thankful for the string of losers I dated after I got divorced because they taught me that I was worth more than I was selling myself for. Even if I didn’t know it at the time.

Hard questions today!!!!

Lynn

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