Glad to know you've chosen to read more about my life! Makes me feel worth reading about! After my father's death in 1992, I make a choice to more or less "re-make" myself into the person I always wanted to be: someone worth loving, someone to be proud of; someone who I knew I deserved to be!"

Let me retrace my steps a little. I married in 1984, had my son in 1986 and my daughter in 1988. In the meantime, I earned my degree in computers in Systems Analysis and Design, as well as obtaining my License in Nursing! As of today, I am currently a staff nurse in a local nursing home. After my children are out of high school, I plan on obtaining my license as a Registered Nurse and furthering my career in time as a Registered Nurse Physician. God willing, it will be done. It may take time and patience, but I have stock-piled those basics to last me while I am working on my degree!!!

Our local Business and Professional Women's organization nominated me as their Young Careerist for the year 2000, which is a great honor. In 2002 - 2003 I served as President and was recently voted as "Woman of the Year" for 2003 - 2004. I have been a member of this great organization going on 4 years now, and I encourage all young women to join this wonderful group of professional women. They have so much to offer!!! Please make an effort to check and see if there is an organization in your area! These wonderful ladies have done so much to make my life more meaningful. God will bless them, I am sure!!!!!

My son just celebrated his 17th birthday, and I feel ever so much older and wiser due to his "coming of age". Makes me remember when I was his age!!! I am so grateful that my children had the chance to get to know their grandfather. Every now and then, the subject comes up concerning my father...and my children both remember him fondly with love and admiration, instead of knowing his past behavior as a drunken and disorderly man. I am so proud of myself for giving my children and my father the chance to get to know and LOVE each other. I don't think I could have lived with any other choice!!! As a matter of fact, this last Father's Day, my children asked me what I remembered of MY father. I told them of how I remembered him telling me how he loved me for the very first time....and how alcohol had disturbed his life for so many years that he never really understood how to show his love for me and my brother. We discussed his death again, and what it meant to all of us. Suprisingly, my children had such fond memories of my father, and they both wished he were still here to be with us and to share Father's Day! That means the world to me!!!! To know that my children understand that his problem was overcome, and that he was able to love them and acknowledge their love in return. That means so much to us all!

Just please remember these words: Alcoholism is a DISEASE...it is NOT a WAY OF LIFE!!! It is not a choice once a person becomes addicted to alcohol. The alcohol rules the person, not the other way around! Most alcoholics do things that they don't remember....it's NOT that the don't WANT to remember, it's just that they CAN'T remember, because of the alcohol! The best thing you can do for a person who you believe has a problem with alcohol is to work with them on admitting that THEY have a problem. Once they take that first step, all it takes is LOVE, FAITH, and PATIENCE. Trust me: it CAN be overcome. And we as children of alcoholics can overcome OUR problems! We must simply realize that the problem lies with the alcoholic parent, and NOT with us!!! Once we can get past that, and deal with it, we can do great things for our lives! Believe me, it can be done...for I have accomplished this! The sins of the father do NOT necessarily fall upon the children! We can LEARN from their mistakes and guide our lives appropriately! It CAN be done; it HAS been done; and it WILL be done again and again, as long as we, the survivors, have the strength to carry it through!!! Never give up - and never give in!!!!!!!!! Have faith in yourself, and have faith in your loved one who has a problem with alcohol. It can be overcome, and I am a firsthand witness to that fact. The best thing you can do is to make sure that they know they are LOVED, and that you have FAITH that they can overcome their problem, and that you have the PATIENCE to see it through!!! Believe me....it is WORTH IT IN THE END!!!
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