A few months ago, I was talking to my mom about the book I'm trying to write.  I was telling her my different thoughts that I want in my book. That's when she told me this:  "When you were a little girl I thought that if a book was written about you it should be called Rainy Day Friend."  I looked at her and asked her to explain "Why?"  She said that when I was little my friends wouldn't call to see if I could play on the sunny days, but I would receive many play date requests when it was raining outside.  She said that I was the perfect rainy day friend. 

Rain or shine, everything that I loved to play was done inside my home.  As a young girl, I kept busy by playing board games, playing house and living vicariously through my Barbies.   When I was a little girl, I was not able to play the outside games like all the other kids I knew.  On bright and sunny days kids enjoy running in the yard and biking down the street.  I would always attempt to do these things.  At times I was successful, but more often than not I wasn't, but I would never let my inabilities stop me from having fun.

I find it really important to add that when I was a little girl I had wonderful friends.  I don't know if it's possible  for me to have had better friends in my life.  They didn't care that it took me longer to do things then the other kids my age and if they did, they never let on about it.  These girls in my life helped to make me the person I am today.  In fact, these girls are still my best friends with whom I share some of my most deepest thoughts and biggest laughs with.  ​

​Yesterday was by far one of the best days of my life.  I attended my first wedding since my new diagnosis.  Everything from the wedding to the reception brought me tears of joy.

When the reception began and the DJ started the music, I was immediately brought to my feet by my dad pulling me to the dance floor.  I eagerly followed his lead and we were dancing to the upbeat music.  I have to admit, I felt a little awkward. I had no idea how to dance and my sense of rhythm was anything but graceful.  It really didn't matter though.  All I really cared about was that I was having fun with my dad.  We smiled at one another and I can't help but think how happy he looked to see me up and dancing with him. 

Last night I learned that I LOVE to dance.  As I said earlier, I had no idea what I was doing, but I didn't care.  There was just something about bopping around the dance floor with my daughters, husband, nieces, nephews, cousins, sister-in-laws, brother and my parents.  We had a blast dancing to everything from Kid rock to The Chicken Dance.  I even did the Conga! 

I patiently waited all evening for a slow song.  It was really important to me that I have the father/daughter dance that I was unable to do at my own wedding nearly eleven years ago.  When American Soldier began playing, I knew I had to get my dad out on the dance floor.  He gladly accepted my request.  Again, I didn't know what I was doing and my dad showed me how to follow his lead, something that I was unable to learn from him years earlier.  As I got the hang of slow dancing, I felt it was necessary to tell him all things that I never got to say on the dance floor at my own wedding. He reminded me that everything always works itself out in the end and he was right.   By the end of the song, we both had tears in our eyes and unexpectedly I  found myself giving my dad a hug and telling him that I love him. 

This is clearly a wedding that I will never forget.  Last night I was given the gift of dancing with my family; a gift that I will never take for granted.