This past week has been stressful for me, but I'm so thankful that I could still phsyically complete what needed to be done.  I always had to rely on others for help.  I couldn't do anything on my own.  As I become more and more independent, I am coming to realize that I still need to ask others for help and that's okay.   It is easier for me to ask others for assistance since I am able to reciprocate.   I no longer feel like I'm putting others out. Instead, us mothers are working together as a team to give our kids the best possible life.  If you can, do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return. Just knowing you made someones day a little bit easier/happier is rewarding in itself. 

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Tonight I had to go pick up Winona from basketball practice.  Three winters ago, that would have been impossible.  Not only was I limited to daytime driving (my muscles were too stiff in the evening), but a stressful drive in the snow made my muscles even more tight.  So as I drove 25 minutes each way on the slippery back roads of Plymouth and Wayzata I was grateful that I could.  Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred to be at home sitting in front of a cozy fire, but I was doing what was once the impossible.  I guess you could say that winter evenings will never be the same and I love that I can say that!

Last night I watched Winona run up and down the basketball court.  All I could do was smile and thank God that she can phsyically do anything she wants to do.  I don't have the worries that my parents had when they were raising me.  I'm able to enjoy raising my children and not worry about what their future will bring.  There has never been a day that has gone by where I don't thank my lucky stars that it was me that had to endure so many physical limitation and not my girls.  However, because it was me, my parents didn't have the opportunity to really relax and raise me without always thinking about the next day. 

I am so grateful for my wonderful mom and dad.  I wish that they hadn't had to deal with my disability and could have had a more normal life.  They did a fantastic job and I don't know if anyone could have done it better than the two of them.  I love them more than I could ever express because they gave me an amazing childhood that I wouldn't change for anything.  I love you Mom and Dad!