The Clouds

I felt this picture of the clouds helps to represent where I have been and what has been going on since my last posting. For me the clouds represent a great many things, reaching for the stars, Heaven, the Divine, and peace. All of these things I have experienced over the last several months.

To answer the big question, YES I am still attending WGU Indiana in my pursuit of becoming a teacher. I haven't given up. I am still reaching for the stars, even though I have had a few bumps in the road on my journey. From my previous post it is noted that I have been dealing with some health issues. Everything finally came tumbling down and I did end up in the hospital where emergency surgery was performed. I believe it was only by Divine intervention that a kind surgeon listened to me, believed me and fought hard with other doctors to recognize there was a problem that needed to be addressed. He quite literally saved my life.

I ended up having three major surgeries in one. I had a very large ventral hernia repaired, my entire left colon removed and major adhesions removed from my umbilical area. I still am having a couple of issues, but I'm doing much better than I was previously. I have a few more test scheduled in the near future and I'm praying everything will come out fine. I desperately want to move on and pray they can eliminate the pain that I still experience from time to time.

Shortly before my surgery, I had another life changing experience. My beautiful, loving, kind mother passed away. It was a day I will never forget. It was Mother's Day and I was at church. Service had just ended and my cell phone rang. It was my sister. She wanted me to know that she had checked on our mom, and found that she was no longer with us. She had passed away peacefully in her sleep. The kids and I were just getting ready to get in the car to pick up a Mother's Day cake and balloons for her. The hardest part was explaining to my little ones that we no longer needed to go to the store, that we needed to go home because Nana had went to Heaven.  I dearly love my mother, but I know that she is at peace now and in the arms of God. She will forever be in my heart, my memories and part of me forever.

As you can see my journey has been long and at times difficult. I have not given up and I believe that life gives us things to make us stronger, to teach us lessons and to mold us into who we are meant to be. How we handle our situations is what defines us. It shows the world who we really are on the inside.

I choose to look at my difficulties as a blessing of sorts. I was honored to take care of my mother the last several years and in her last few months I was given an opportunity to say all the things I wanted to say and to listen and hang on every word she said to me. God blessed us by allowing her to survive a severe heart attack near the end of her life. He saved that time for us to say our goodbyes and to share all that we could with her. I am grateful for that.

My illnesses have taught me so much too. I have learned to appreciate and not take good health and life for granted. I have also learned to accept help from others and most importantly to rely on God for all my needs.