Even if it's just ONE.

You are so strong. Or

I don't know how you do it.

This is what I am often told when they learn about what I have been through.

But, what do you say to that? How do you respond?

I mean, sometimes I just give a smile; and sometimes I say I had/have no other choice.

and when I think about it, I guess I do have a choice. I can let it consume me and break down, which I do at times, and just drown myself in my sorrows. Or I can use it as fuel to keep pushing.

Keep pushing.

When you have little ones, you have to keep going.

I can't check out on them. I have to be present for them, for my family, for me.

Life is always going to throw curveballs your way.

It's up to you to decide if you are going to let it define you or refine you.

If you fall, get right back up and keep pushing.

There's no shame in that.

Use your struggles to strengthen you.

Learn from your mistakes.

Like Steve Maraboli said, "My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthen me."

I hope to inspire others.

I want others, even if it's just ONE person, to look at me and say because of YOU I didn't give up.

Comments

This is me, Evolving.

There is not a moment in time that I don’t remember myself as being overweight. As a kid, I was always the biggest of my siblings, the biggest in my classes, and the biggest in my circle of friends. As you can imagine, I’ve always struggled with my weight. My earliest memory of realizing how much more I weighed than the other girls in my circle was in the 6th grade. It was June 1993 to be more specific. We were getting ready for my 6th grade commencement, so we had to go clothes shopping, especially because I was giving a speech as 6th grade valedictorian. I can recall not being able to shop in the regular girl/juniors sections. I had to head over the “old people” section as I used to call it because it was older women who shopped in that area. There was nothing CUTE in that section. I had to settle for something that fit, rather something I actually wanted to wear – not a very good feeling. That’s when it all started. I remember that summer going to my annual physical and d...

Breathe.

While the Internet has proven to be resourceful in many ways, it can also be a curse. I remember being on the 7th floor pediatric oncology unit back in June 2009. I was sitting with the doctors who were explaining to me Nayelis' diagnosis. (I had already Google searched leukemia in children, so I had a few questions of my own.) I went on to tell the doctors my findings, and they said not to let what I found on the Internet drive me crazy. But that's just who I am. You give me information I am not knowledgeable of, and I run with it on every search engine available to see what I can find. That's what I did then, and that's what I've been doing now. Let me backtrack a bit. During my 5-6 month pregnancy ultrasound for Neymar, doctors informed me that the ventricles in brain appeared a bit larger than they should have been. They closely monitored me during the remainder of the pregnancy to make sure the size was not increasing as it would mean there would be so...

8 years

In just a couple of hours, it would mark 8 LONG years since I heard your last breath. They say time eases the heartache and heals all wounds. But as wounds may heal and pain may lessen, the heartache will always remain. It may not be as profound as it initially was, but it's still there. Reminders of you are everywhere - Pictures on the wall, sporadic pieces of clothing still intertwined with mine. Your voice in my head, and your smile once I close my eyes . I remember looking back at you in the car that day, and Bob Marley's song came on the radio. You looked at me and said "mommy, no worry, is gonna be alwight". At just three years old, you were assuring me that no matter what happened, everything was going to be alright. Yes, it's been 8 years since I last held you, but you are with me every day. I carry you in everything I do and everything I say you are my reason, you are my why you are the burst of energy that recharges my drive. I missed...

Into Me You See

Search This Blog