FEEL GOOD FRIDAY!!!

Hosted by: Laura,  the girl next door grows up

Welcome to Feel Good Friday! 

Laura had found that a lot of her bloggy friends reading posts about being positive, so she thought she might try her very own meme.  She just want everyone to feel good and have some happy thoughts as you begin the weekend.  

It is never too late to join!!!

Since this is only my second week I'll post the prompts here and the steps to follow to give you some idea of what this meme is about:

Step 1: 

Pick one of these prompts and write about it on your blog!  You can: 

• Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things.   
• Write about something that happened to you this week that really made you smile.  Was it your child, husband, or maybe a complete stranger did to you?

• Write about something that YOU did for someone else that really made them happy or laugh.

• Is there something you treasure so much that every single time you look at it, it brings you happiness?  Post a pic and tell everyone about it.

• Having a hard week and can’t find one good thing about it?  Well then, what is your happy place?  What do you think of that makes you happy? A past vacation?  A childhood memory?  We want to know!

Step 2:

Come back to Laura's blog, the little girl next door grows up on Friday and link up with Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.  Then go and read at least one other blog and leave them a comment to make their day brighter.

Step 3:

Have fun.  Feel good.  Smile. 

Then, start looking for all of the good things you can write about for next week!  Once you start looking for the “good”  you will find it everywhere.

 

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Today I am writing about my wonderful daughter Elizabeth/Betsy/Liz.  She my third child and daughter number two.  She is graduating from high school tomorrow and I am so proud of her.  We live in a very small town, there are only 25 people in her class and two are AFS students who have only been here for this school year.  About 20 of these kids have been  together since 4 year old kindergarten.

With a class this small and a school that houses 4K-12 all the kids are close and everyone gets to participate in everything and Betsy has taken full advantage of that.  She has played volleyball, basketball and softball, been in most of the plays and musicals, sang in the choir, tried band for a while,  belonged to the International Club, Spanish Club,  YADAA (Youth Against Drugs And Alcohol),  worked on the yearbook, was a cheerleader, and tutored elementary students for 3 of  her 4 high school years. She had the special honor last summer to represent the school at Badger Girls State. She also organized a food drive for the local food pantry during her Junior year.

She was also very active in our church, working at bake sales and dinners, helped with childcare and Sunday School, participated every year in the CROP WALK, went on several mission trips including one to Louisiana after hurricane Katrina.  She also went to church camp for several years until she started attending a Farmer's Camp with one of her friends, and we have never lived on a farm or even out in the country.  All this and worked part-time at the local grocery store.

Betsy was just 9 years old when I had my accident.  She was moved to her aunt's and uncle's home along with her younger brother Jayme.  I was in the hospital for 75 days returning home in a wheelchair and body brace on her 10th birthday.  My children all grew up pretty fast after that happened.  They had to help take care of me instead of me taking care of them.  They gave up a lot when our household income was cut in half.  They were forced to move into a small apartment when we lost our house. 

 

Things have turned around and my recovery was much better than ever expected but it changed all our lives.  The change in Betsy was profound, she tried to take my place at events at the church, she was the little girl, then teenager working with all the little old ladies at the dinners and bake sales.  She also became quite the hugger, she greets everyone with a hug.  When any of the church ladies come into the grocery store,  she still to this day comes around the counter to give them a hug.  In this year's yearbook she was voted "Everyone's Buddy", which is no surprise.  She is the most compassionate young woman I have ever met.  She is always there with a hug and an ear to listen.

She plans to continue her education and hopes to become a elementary teacher, a career I know is perfect for her.

Thank you for letting me share by daughter's story.  It really makes me Feel Good  on this particular Friday.