I have a new title...

I guess I will start from the beginning. After high school, I went to the Marine Corps, because of a shotty body, my career there was cut short. When I came home, I made a couple of half-hearted attempts at college, had a baby and (eventually) found a decent paying job that didn't require a degree. When the bottom fell out of the mortgage business in 2008, I found myself working as a glorified data entry clerk for about half what I had made at my previous job and I was HATING it! My boss, Gary Mckiddy, could tell I wasn't happy and one day he called me to his office and asked, "What do YOU want to do? What will make you happy?" I said I wanted to graduate from college and he told me if that was what I wanted, then I better do it. He would call me back in a couple of weeks and see what kind of progress I had made towards that goal.

I went to Dallas County Community College and enrolled in courses for fall 2008 that week and now, here I am, two days away from graduation. That day, my boss believed in me, but more than that, he held me accountable. He required updates on grades and progress and he changed my life. He motivated me. I don't want to discount my husband's role in this, because he has pushed me and supported me through these years. He forced me tokeep going when I wanted to give up.And my grandfather has always inspired me. But that day as the day that changed things for me. Just knowing that someone on the outside saw potential in me changed my way of thinking.

This process has taught me three things.

Number one, never stop trying to inspire greatness in others. My boss could have just told me to quit pouting, he could have fired me, but instead he encouraged me even though he didn't have too.

Number two, never give up on your dreams. Over these years I have been supported a great deal, but I have also been discouraged. Not everyone could see the purpose in what I was doing and some people even attempted to discourage me from finishing. I blocked out the negative and focused on the positive, even when there didn't seem to be much positive to focus on.

Number three, accomplishing anything takes a LOT of perseverance!! Since the Fall of 2008 I have gotten married and had two children. I have taken books to both Jamaica and Hawaii. I studied history on my honeymoon, I took finance finals on a lanai! When my son was born 5 weeks early, I hobbled to the hospital waiting room computer to beg for extensions on assignments. When my roof caved in 5 days later, I sat in a bed in a hotel with my newborn working through a week's worth of past due assignments. My kids have sacrificed, my husband has sacrificied. It has been so hard, but I did it.

And now, I have a new title: College Graduate. It may not mean much to everyone, but to me it is the realization of a lifelong dream and ten years of blood, sweat, and TEARS (trust me there have been tears!) I approach my graduation on Friday with a mixture of emotions. I am happy of course that I have accomplished my goal. I am not as happy as I thought I would be to be finished with school. Through all the trials and tribulations, school has given me a purpose. When I stopped working, I leaned on school to make me feel like I was still contributing somehow. Now, with school done and work not really something I am ready to explore with all the little ones, I am what? A mommy, a house wife? I don't mind those titles. I actually love the mommy title, and the wife title (minus the house part ;) ) My new goal, is finding contentment in my new title.

That is all.

PS. YAY I AM GRADUATING!!!

pps please don't take my spelling in this blog as an example of my education, I am typing one handed while feeding a baby!