Miracles happen when we least expect..

I sit here at 11:35 at night unable to sleep. I've got the music playing but Lucy's snoring seems to drown it out. And you know what? It doesn't bother me one bit. I looked at a lot of old pictures tonight, reminisced a little. I miss the "good ole days" but man I love exactly where my life is at this point. I've never been so sure of who I am and what I want as I am at this time in life. I remember wondering if I would ever find myself, what it is I wanted out of life, whether I could be happy alone, so many things. As I self-reflect tonight, as I often do, I've realized I could not be more proud of the individual I am today.

If there is one thing I learned in life, it's this: get yourself a dog. My life changed in May of 2008, the day I was given Lucy. My life was a wreck and she entered it at exactly the right time. By no means was I ready for my own dog, but I had no choice. This dog became attached to my side. You never saw me without her. We rode everywhere together. I took her walking and running with me. She even came with me to do laundry. I spent almost every minute of the day with her for the first 3 months I had her. I taught her how to shake, sit, fetch, "tip toe", and attack. Her favorite movie was "Dirty Dancing". I figured that out by playing it for her to drown out her screaming when we left her alone. It did more than drown it out, it stopped it. I learned how to deal with her illness by educating myself. I learned all her movements to indicate she needed to potty. I even learned her favorite thing was food. I was by no means experienced in raising a dog but it was a learning process.

When I think about my future as a teacher, I'm scared to death about how I'll do. It's a scary thought to know parents of children with disabilities will be putting their child's educational experience in my hands. I don't want to fail them, because they have so many other things they are dealing with and this should be the least of their worries. But then I compare it to raising Lucy. In the beginning, I won't be prepared or really even know a thing. However, with experience and time, it will all come naturally. Teaching is a process of trial and error. Much like raising Lucy, much like life. We only learn once we've experienced.

Benjamin Franklin stated it best when he said "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." This could not be more true. In life, we can tell individuals all day long how to do something or what to do about something but they won't retain it until they have experienced it. Experience is the key to growing up, maturing, knowledge, wisdom. Without our experiences, we would not be the people we are today. I've had many experiences, good and bad, that have influenced who I am. Some of my best experiences were out on the softball field. Some of my worst were in disappointing people I loved. Regardless, I've grown from them all. And, Lucy has grown from her's as well.

It's almost exactly 4 years since I got the greatest gift/lesson of my life. I often use to wonder why Lucy? Why did I get her at a time in my life when I was so unstable, so vulnerable, so weak? But four years later I realized Lucy was brought into my life to pick me up off the ground. She was here to make me strong again. She was here to open my eyes to the beauty in my life. I appreciate my life so much more because of her. I had everything I ever needed right in front of me. And, it took her to make me realize I didn't need to search for happiness because I already had it. The dog means the world to me and I'm so thankful I get to travel down my life journey with the greatest companion I could ever ask for.

Until next time, it's just the two of us..

The first week I had Lucy

Who could not love her?!

My miracle