June Forward!!

It's June, and officially half of 2022! June is an oft celebrated month for planting, getting married, graduating, juneteenth, camping, and much more. I'm celebrating June because this month it became obvious to me that I'm moving forward with my life! What does that mean for me? I am finally recognizing that I'm continuing to live my life even during my difficult times. It means that I have kept on fighting until I've overcome the obstacles put in my way! Have I finished? No. But I recognize for the first time since Mike passed, that I am moving forward with my life.

After Mike died, I lost purpose and drive. I remember all the times I prayed to God asking Him to reveal my purpose to me so I would know how to activate a plan to fulfill it. At the same time, I asked to be used by Him to do something with my life that would bless others the same way that I have been so abundantly blessed. Then, I got the idea to do something by way of advocacy! So, I joined a petition drive for Carolyn's Law. It's an initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution to require certain staff-to-patient ratios in nursing facilities and certain minimum daily amounts of direct care to nursing facility patients. www.carolynslaw.org. So that was the second endeavor.

The first endeavor recently culminated in the launching of my very first children's picture book "Winning the Race!" under the series title God's Perfect Gift, Disability through the eyes of a child. I'm writing these books to shine the light on the brilliance of children with disabilities. These children are God's Perfect Gift. That gift is the embodiment of their examples of unstoppable courage, strong will and determination, kind heartedness, unconditional love, goodness and inner beauty. https://godperfectgift.com.

Advocating for these two worthwhile causes has restored my sense of purpose and given me reason to drive forward with my life. Now, I have something to do everyday that incentivizes me to use my gifts and talents in a more meaningful way to bless others. So, I can honestly say that I am moving forward with my life....and still carrying Mike's memory and love with me!

Do you have any affirmations of moving forward with your life that you are willing to share?