Skip to content

Privileged While Incurable

I am privileged! There is no doubt about it! I am blessed with three amazing grown children who chose wonderful partners to spend their lives with and then on top of this there are 4 beautiful grandsons. When I say privledged? I tell you I am so blessed by Grace. I have a spouse whom I love and loves me. I am living with an incurable disease that is slowly robbing me of my life as I knew it but I am highly Blessed and privledged! No, I am not delusional nor in denial. But I have Faith yes, I believe! It might not come out in the nice little boxes you are comfortable with but that is fine! I would love to agree to disagree with you. Cookie cutter people make me extremely anxious. My prayer for my children was all your normal parent stuff about being a contributing member to society, everyone deserves respect, knowing the difference between right and wrong, to treat others as you wish to be treated, we are all the same but yet there is only one of you! And you can be or do anything you put your mind to do. Then I told them the story of their Grandfather, whom they never had the opportunity to meet? But was a part of each of them through me! 

Their grandfather carried coal sacks on his back to help with money while he was a boy. He did a lot of heavy work as a child to help his divorced single mother and his sister. In school he stuttered but would take classes and later won on debate teams.  He would enter The University of Tennessee to become a pharmacist and in doing so would meet a beautiful extremely intelligent young woman who was enrolled in the dental hygienist program. My parents were beautiful together. Life is not a fairytale but it is made of some very breathtakingly beautiful moments! Do you know,  I remember exactly what I had on the day I was privileged enough to accompany my Daddy to go look at a new Paharmacy, new town, new turn in our lives!? I have huge gaps in my memory. I believe it is because I think I stay in the present rather than the past as a form of self protection. But on this fine winter day leaving Paris Tn. I was 4 yrs old and had on a gold down like top with elastic on its borders and gold pants. I was so happy! You see I was a Daddy’s girl and a day like this? Oh it was so special! (I do not have to tell you, I suppose, I was treated like a little princess?) anyway I can almost reach out to feel the cold and light smattering of snow that had fallen overnight! We drove to Tullahoma TN! This would be our home until Dad decided he wanted his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. At the time this was a new degree. So off we would go back to Memphis Tn, where Mom & Dad had met, 2 of us were born, and Elvis was often in Graceland! When Dad had finished his degree? We would land in Columbia S.C. Every summer from 1962 to 1977 was spent in the smokies of TN/NC. Because we moved so much I consider this area home. Dad passed away in Morristown TN ~ 1 1/2 hours from the smokies .. Yes I have fast-forwarded on you, but I wanted to give you just an outline of things. Do you still see the privilege? And highly favored? As I am driving one of the vehicles in a convoy headed to go to Arkansas with my Mother’s relatives, we are entering Memphis TN. I have the radio on low, my Mom is resting, I do not have a driver’s license yet but that will happen soon. Elvis begins to sing through the radio “”My Way” I am running red light after red light trying to follow my uncle … Memphis has changed a bit. I am hearing Elvis but I am also hearing my Dad singing. When we would take road trips we would always sing and he had a great voice. I am crossing the state line saying you are leaving the great state of Tn and entering MS. We were on route 61 and tears were just rolling down my face silently. See I had miles and miles to go before I would find my peace, but I am and always have been sure of Faith. God doesn’t leave you alone. I just gave you one example , I have so many. So as I take this moment to reflect on the year and go back further than the year? It is only to show,when we lay out our timelines, of our own lives?  The privilege I see in gaining  so many friends/sisters/brothers through our mutual support and advocacy gives me the conformation of being in the right place and right time. So yes despite #MotilityDisorders #ChronicNausea #ChronicPain #CureGP

We now begin a bright and shiny new year! Are you ready? I am! 

2016 Gastroparesis Fighting for Change Calendar