He Leads

I’ve been really thinking back lately to where I was mentally last year. There was many struggles in my and more worry than I can even imagine. It’s kind of amazing the 180 I took after I submitted myself to Jesus. It’s empowering to say that because before last April, I don’t think I could openly have said that. I will say, I was extremely selfish and stubborn for about seven to eight years of my life. (Possibly longer). It’s amazing what changes have occurred in my own life but simply saying, “Yes, I’ll do it.”

I used to say, “No,” many times. It was like the one word that kept me from having to obligate to anything. When I made the decision to finally break that chain of being comfortable and walking outside of that zone, my world changed. I use to be scared to even walk into a church without feeling like judgmental eyes were watching my every move, but it’s funny how those people were not like that. The churchgoers that I once thought were the most judgmental are some of the most loving and supportive people I have ever met in my life. It’s amazing how God has actually steered me away from the people that were actually causing all of my pain and suffering. It’s even more remarkable when he leads me back to those people and speak his word when they are in trying times.

The last two nights I performed in a play called “The Way of the Cross”. Honestly, I didn’t know how powerful the experience would be until last night. The last performance hit me harder than I could have ever expected. Although the last month or two has been a bit trying with all of the situations that only the deceiver could cause, somehow this amazing group of people came together and brought it to life. These moments are definitely the ones where the power of God roars in all of us.

I’ve met some amazing people over the last year and it has been amazing being able to walk this spiritual journey with Jesus. I have told many people my testimony and put it out there for many to see through this blog. Some of the most uncomfortable situations I have openly talked about without a flinch. Although my story is not as dramatic or chaotic as some, it’s still amazing to know that I was healed from my depression. It’s amazing how quick just being around a community of believers can pull you from the ashes of your own self pity and make you realize there is more to life than dragging your feet and worrying. Yes, concern is okay to have, but worry causes all kinds of mental illness.

Believe in Jesus. His Way is the only way. Much love.

The Temperament Scepter (RELEASE)

 

Hey, guys! We’re a month away from March 19, which is the release of my debut novel “The Temperament Scepter”. This is being written under my pen name Allix Booth. I know I have been a bit quiet on here the last few months, but it gets a bit crazy when things start piecing together especially after recovering from depression.

I will say it has been a long road to this moment finally, and I can’t even explain how amazing it is to know that you guys have stuck with me this long. It is extremely humbling to know that my writing has caught your eye, or at least brought a little inspiration in your lives. I want my readers of this blog to know that I will return to my regular posts soon. I’m actually going to bring back “Interview with the Awethors” soon. I actually have an extremely talented author in mind that I’m going to be interviewing here soon. Her name will come soon and guess what? She is a fantasy author!

Well, if you guys get a chance to drop in on my author page you’ll find me there most of the time over the next month or so. Also, I have the e-book on preorder on Amazon currently, so definitely take advantage of the savings before the release. Currently, “The Temperament Scepter” is posted for $3.99. After March 19, it will go to $4.99.

One last thing, I’m hosting the release event March 19-20 with 16 amazing authors joining me in this debut event for my pen name, Allix Booth. Thanks again for all the support you guys have shown, and I hope to be back here soon. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/AllixBooth

Amazon Preorder

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BCUN07Q

Release Event

https://www.facebook.com/events/1676993032585392/

 

Connecting the Dots

Today has been a very inspirational and encouraging day. A lot of the questions about my life and where I am being guided have finally pieced together. There are still some questions that are constantly pressing deep inside of me, but I am gradually finding the voice to express how I feel in those moments.

I had many memories of small moments that have led me to where I am at now from all of the pride I had for myself, the jealousy of others that did better than me, and all of my selfish ways. During my days in high school eight years ago, I had a huge ego. I thought that the world revolved around me and I could do whatever I wanted. My life was based around a spoiled kid who went to mom and dad for anything that I needed at the time. Especially if I ran into trouble along the way, they were the first ones I ran to for help. There are constant things that happen throughout people’s lives to bring them back to the Lord and in every way, it turns out to be a beautiful story that is filled with encouragement for others who have the opportunity to hear a person’s life. Well, I’m going to summarize all of the important moments of my life that led me here.

–Learning Music-

I learned how to play music in high school, and I was very talented at it. I played tuba in the Wind Symphony, and sousaphone in the marching band. The goosebumps and special moments I experienced performing made me feel like I was at bliss with myself. There was nothing that could take away the feelings that music brought to my heart. When I reached my Senior year of high school, I traveled across Europe and performed at many historical locations across the continent. It was an amazing adventure that created a new perspective of what I wanted to do with my music.

Back home, I put together a small rock band and enjoyed creating music. It was like we were all connected until we started finding new members and replacing old ones. It got to the point where all we wanted was fame and fortune. Both of these never came to us, but we did enough work to pull in a small following, but we never reached that milestone where we all felt fulfilled with our lives. All of us wanted to make more money and be able to travel to huge arenas, where we could perform for thousands. That never happened though. After looking back at what kind of experience I went through with the band, it made me realize the one passion I truly did have. It was actually the ability to write a story and portray a picture of what I was seeing in my mind. This brought about the next stage to my life.

–Writing-

I enjoyed writing stories before, during, and after my music stage of life. I went to school at the Art Institute of Atlanta, where I was studying Audio Production. My journey there ended up leading me into an English class, where I met a wonderful teacher named, Ms. Jenkins. She was one of the most encouraging teachers I had ever had the honor of studying with. She taught me a lot about creative writing and even offered her services in editing to help me grow as a writer. It wasn’t until it was the end of the year when she gave me my first notebook to use for dreams that I happen to want to write about. That notebook now sits inside of a box in my closet, but it was the gesture that let me know that I was stepping in the right direction in my life.

I ended up writing scripts for some of the video production students, who struggled with creativity. It was fun joining in small groups and helping these kids out, but it didn’t start to dawn on me until about two years later when my dad sat me down in his office at his house.

–Spreading My Wings-

My dad was struggling with his business, and he was leading in the direction of bankruptcy and searching for a solution for problems at work. He worked so hard for his business that he built the last 25 years. My mom played an important roll with him too, but it all came tumbling down. I don’t know when the quake started for my dad, but it didn’t reach me until I was halfway through college.

He sat me down in his office and looked up at me over the rim of his glasses. He had multiple documents in his hands from insurance companies, school bills, the mortgage, utilities, and anything else he owed money to. His credit was ruined and there was little hope for him to pull himself out of it. Actually, I remember a few months later he started going back to church and searched for answers in spirit trying to figure out what to do in his situation. Anyways, he told me that he could not take out another loan for my schooling and that I needed to start helping out. I was told that I needed to get a job to help pay for my schooling, my health and auto insurance. It was actually a fair deal, but my selfishness and ego didn’t see it that way. I felt like my dad was trying to punish me and make me fail. It wasn’t that at all.

If my dad did not make me step up my life like he did that day, I think I would still be living with them in the same position today. At the time, I was coming near the end of performing with my band and meeting the one I love today, Nadine. My band performed two more gigs after I met Nadine, and we split up because the guitarist wanted to join the army, I needed to make more money working in the grocery store, and the drummer went to school down in Valdosta, which was a distance away.

–Nadine-

I remember meeting Nadine in a small pizzeria off of Lawrenceville Highway. It was inside of a strip mall, but they had open mics there, and my guitarist wanted to perform one of our last times there. We went in and one of our fans was there with her cousin, Nadine. I sat down at the table behind her with Luke. I couldn’t help but text Nadine’s cousin. I sent texts about how beautiful Nadine was and how much I liked her. It was actually kind of pathetic on my end of it haha! We exchanged numbers at the end of the night and ended going on a few dates afterwards.

I think meeting Nadine was not a coincidence in my life. I feel like it was God’s way of pointing me in the direction I needed to turn to. If it wasn’t for Nadine, I would’ve never continued to work at my job with the grocery store. I would be living with my parents. Quite possibly, I probably would have not had the motivation to build myself up. I had found my Eve, but I needed more in my life to feel like I was doing well in the public eye of my friends and family. I decided to become an Assistant Manager after three years of working for the same company.

I’m going to end this post here. it’s getting a bit long. Plus, I have work early in the morning. Please stay joyful and inspired by everything around you. There’s always a spark somewhere that is going to get your attention. You just have to be patient to grasp its meaning. Until tomorrow, sleep well and Happy Blogging!

Baby Steps

We all have those moments, where we want something so bad we can almost taste it, feel it, or smell it. Whatever desire you may want now, it is always a long road to retrieving it. The question I always ask myself when I want something is, what am I doing to get closer to that goal or that item I want? Am I working twice as hard to get it, or am I simply looking for short cuts that will eventually get me to my ultimate goal?

I browsed through a few books the past year about authors trying to inspire and teach people how to write. A lot of the advice was great advice. The only problem is, these writers took the plunge and decided to write full time. Now, that is an awesome story, but we all can’t be those writers that get handed a fancy check and a deal that’ll send us to the promise land. No, no, no, these writers did not just one day say, “Yup, I’m going to be a writer and I’m going to be a bestseller by the end of the year.”

There’s a difference between hard work and short cuts. For instance, I was hiking up Stone Mountain with Nadine a few months ago and we decided that it wasn’t going to be that long of a hike up the mountain. We brought two bottles of water, but they were only half full. (Big Mistake!) We climbed halfway up the side of the mountain, and we were exhausted. Now, I haven’t climbed up Stone Mountain for a long time, but we reached almost the peak of the mountain when we had almost no energy left to push forward. At that moment, I couldn’t remember if there was water at the top of the mountain because if there wasn’t, we were going to have to take the lift back down the mountain. We actually thought about cutting our hike short and walking back down the mountain from where we were because we were so tired. We ended up sitting down and talking about it. We decided to take the chance and continue forward up the mountain and to our surprise, there was a small concession stand at the top.

Now, if we had decided to give up when the mountain was getting steep, rocky, and tough, we would’ve missed out on the reward at the top. Our walk back to the car would have been torture without quenching our thirsts and feeding our bellies. Now, the reward for our trek up the mountain may not have meant much for some people, but to us, it was like gold pouring from the bottles.

When I think about this experience in my life, I think of what it’s like as a writer. We sit down at our place of meditation. Our fingers cramp up and press through the words. Our mind eventually becomes exhausted at a certain point because writing is a tough task for a lot of people. Especially when there are distractions that invade your writing time like Facebook, twitter, a spouse, television, events, friends, and family. We all have different responsibilities that interfere with our writing, but do we let it bring us down or aggravate us? No, most of the time it doesn’t. That is why, baby steps are the key to creating a piece of work that holds value to its readers.

I heard a story once about a woman who wrote twenty-one books within a year. She had them all published and now, she is just reaping the benefits. Now, I have many questions about this story because I want to know how many pages the books are, how well written are they, and how is the character development? Did she take a few short cuts in her writing to the point where her points were lost?

Also, I talked to an author once who said they wrote for eight hours a day and wrote at least 10,000 words a day or more. In my opinion, this is an awesome feat. Someone writing 10,000 words a day is a tough task, but it was a lot of dedication on her part. She ended up quitting her job and wrote full time. This caused her to sit down and have to write everyday to be able to provide an income for her family. Now, she’s doing very well with her career and continues to write professionally. She didn’t take any short cuts cause she spends a lot of time on outlines to be able to create these worlds in her head. Her outline, just like with any other author, is the life of her story.

These are just two stories I’ve heard over the last year and they are wonderful stories. Now, my type of writing is in baby steps now. I use to attempt to write at least 6,000-10,000 words a day back in February, but I was burnt out when the next month rolled in. I actually took a week break and didn’t get much done after I hit a spot in the story where I was lost. I did everything the author suggestion: create an outline, keep notes of all of your characters’ descriptions, draw maps for your world, and keep writing. The last part I kind of ignored with the keep writing part because I didn’t know which way I was going with my story after I had stopped writing for a week. That’s why writing is a lifestyle.

I currently have brought my word counts down to 500-1,000 words a day. I promote my work occasionally on social media, but I’m finding myself writing more through my blog. I actually enjoy doing this and writing books. Maybe one day I can finally reap the award of becoming a New York Times Bestseller, but even if I don’t reach that goal, I can at least say I made a few people happy with my writing. That really is the ultimate goal to spread the secret to happiness and inspiration.

Happy Blogging!

Gratitude

I was sitting in bed today thinking about things that I am grateful for, especially since for the last year my mind focused a lot on the negative. I heard from a nifty book once that if you focus on all the positives in your life and place yourself in the vision that you have for yourself, you will eventually live in that dream. Now, I dream to be Tony Stark with an Iron Man suit one day, but for now, I will am going to list all of the things I am currently grateful for.

1. I am grateful for my mom and dad for being a live and healthy. For also, helping me get through the times that were not my brightest hours.

2. I’m grateful for my fiance for keeping her chin up for me when I have been down. I also am grateful that her love has kept me going for the last five years.

3. I’m grateful for having a job that keeps food on the table and clothes on my back.

4. I’m grateful for having the eyes to see what I am writing and the fingers to be able to write what I am feeling.

5. I’m grateful that I have readers that actually enjoy my posts, and I am grateful for the one’s that challenge my thoughts as well.

6. I am grateful to be alive and wake up to more sunny days than rainy days.

7. I’m grateful to be able to live in a country where I am free to express myself without penalty.

8. I am grateful for the men that died to keep our country free.

9. I’m grateful for the positive thoughts that pop up in my head daily. I’m also grateful for learning how to not worry or stress over the things that do not matter right now.

10. I’m grateful to know that I continue to have ideas in my head for my stories everyday and do not suffer from writer’s block too much anymore.

11. I am grateful that there are writers that ask me for my suggestions on their writings and want my help.

12. I’m grateful for when my checks from work are bigger than usual.

13. I’m grateful to have a grandmother that I know.

14. I’m grateful for having a sibling that listens to me even if I do run off into a rant at times.

15. I’m grateful for the people that are still in my life even when times were bumpy in the past.

Write down your list of what you’re grateful for. It doesn’t have to be on here. It can be on your own page or the comments below. If you’re looking to make a change in your life, don’t focus on the negatives. Start with a list of things that you’re grateful for that make you happy. It’s the first step of following what you want in your life.

Happy blogging!

Mile Swim

When I was younger, I was a boyscout. I’d go to camp every summer for a week and enjoy the time in nature and doing different activities like shooting rifles, swimming, learning new skills, and meeting new people. I remember one experience that I will never forget because it was the breaking point of me realizing that putting my mind to it, I can do anything I want.

One summer, I decided to do the mile swim. This is an award boy scouts get for simply swimming a mile. I figured at the time that it would be easy, and the badge would be mine without effort. Little did I know was the camp I was doing this at would have one obstacle that kids in the past have fallen to. The water in the lake I was going to swim in was anywhere between 36 and 42 degrees almost every day.

The first day I went to my training class, I got to feel how cold the water was. Let me tell you, it took my breath away. I wanted to just jump back out of the water and run back to the field where the sun could warm me up, but I didn’t. I remember doing our paddling lessons the instructor said that every year there would be at least fifteen people who would want to do the mile swim, but only 2-3 would actually go through with it. A lot of it was mostly scare talk because each day our class would get thinner. I remember hearing about some kids getting hypothermia, nosebleeds, and muscle cramps. I almost wanted to tap out just from all the stories I heard.

It is funny how much stories can influence us though. Yes, the water was cold and yes, there was health risks involved. Did that stop me from pushing myself to achieve a goal I had set for myself a few months before I went to the camp? No, it didn’t.

I remember the day before the mile swim, it was just me and another kid. We were the last two who would make the long trek around the cold lake. He wore a wetsuit because he was one of the kids who had a nosebleed and hypothermia the year before. I, on the other hand, had swim trunks on. I know I wasn’t prepared for what lied ahead, but I know my dad was there with me. If something happened, I know he would’ve been the first to dive into the water to get me. It’s funny because the only reason I really wanted to do this swim was because I didn’t want to be a quitter. I didn’t want to fall short of my goal because of the temperature of the water. I remember the night before a few of the guys in my patrol told me they were going to be watching me do it from the dock. It was a a confidence boost for myself to know I was doing something that a lot of these guys decided to bail on.

The day of the swim, it was freezing cold that morning. It was foggy, and I could almost see my breath in the air. I still can’t understand why it was so cold up there in the summer, but I guess some areas are just colder longer. I walked up to the dock and pulled my shirt off and felt the chill of a breeze brush my naked back and chest. The other kid next to me was doing a few stretches and he told me to do the say to keep the blood flowing. So I did.

My dad and scout leader hoped into one of the canoes with two cups of coffee in their hands. I shook my head only wishing I could be in their position with warm coffee and a boat to sit in. They paddled out a meters from us and I watched the other kid dive in first. He was following a boat with his own scout leaders. I proceeded a few seconds behind him and off I went into the cold water. My dad kept saying from the boat that there’s a cup of coffee waiting for me at the dock once I finished. Then, he sipped on his. I shook my head and dove underneath the water doing breast strokes. I wanted to conserve my energy and hopefully build up some heat because I eventually could not feel my feet.

I was swimming for about thirty to forty five minutes I think. I can’t remember how long. May have been longer. I remember on the right side of the lake it was very shady and extremely cold, but on the left side of the lake the sun gave me a little warmth. Occasionally, I would look up to see where the other swimmer was, but we were so far apart, it was almost useless trying to keep track of him. I can remember feeling weakness in my arms and legs near the end. The cold had made everything numb from my shoulders down. It was a frightening experience, but I knew I just needed to keep throwing my arms forward until I reached the end of the last lap around the lake.

I flopped onto the dock and rolled over. There were camp personnel  there with wool blankets and cups of hot chocolate. They had a medic check both of our temperatures. Mine had dropped to 86 degrees. They ended up hugging me tight to give off some body heat cause I was shivering. It was a long and cold trek, but I did it. Even if I was close to hypothermia.

My dad told me later that night that my mom called to camp  cause she was worried about me. She had a dream that my grandfather was holding me in his arms when I was a baby in a blanket. She thought something had happened to me that day from the swim. It was a little scary hearing that from that grueling experience, but I wonder if my grandfather was there. Especially since he was holding me in a blanket in my mother’s dream.

I don’t think I will ever forget this experience only because it taught me that to follow the examples of others because of certain elements or circumstances is not what we are here for. I did not want to give into the past stories about other kids, and I didn’t want to listen to the parents or kids who thought it was too cold. I only wanted to achieve something that I knew I could do. We all go through certain obstacles and giving up will only lead to the sidelines to your path. I may not have done anything great that day to show off and make money off of, but I was proud of what I did.

My mom told me the other day that success is not how much you make, or what awards you have achieved. Success is how you have made the people around you feel about the things you have done. Thanks for that reminder, Mom.

Trials

I have come to the realization that I am being tested. Last year was a great year. I published my first book, made a little money to get some new things, and stepped down from my job to pursue writing. I’ve finally realized that having a part time job and writing is not working out anymore. I can’t take the plunge that I wanted to because I am so deep in debt currently, and I am having troubles with even paying for my insurance, car, and phone. I was offered by a family member recently $3,000, but I turned it down. Is it because of my pride? I don’t think so. I just never really thought I’d be at this point in my life. Let me break it down for you guys real quick. Maybe someone can give me some advice.

I owe:

$308 on my phone before it’s turned back on.

$877 behind on my car payment.

$9,700 owed to student loans.

$2,800 owed in credit cards.

Plus, my mortgage has gone from $540 a month to $740 a month because of property taxes.

Am I concerned about these things? Yes, I am. Do I let them control my life? No I don’t.

Right now, I feel like I am being tested on my faith and my own life. I put a lot of faith in God, but when I get the phone calls and the letters in the mail from debt collectors, I do waver a bit. I am the first one to say that I am not a good Christian. I have done wrong, I have sinned many times, I’ve been envious of others, and I put my wants before my needs. I know there are far more people out there that have a lot worse going on in their life. I pray for those people I know and I don’t know everyday. I pray for myself as well cause I do need help. I do need to find a way to rise up from where I am at.

I work 40 hours a week at my current job, and I do side work to get by. Although I may be worried about these small financial things, I do believe that God will provide. At the end of the month, I still have a roof over my head, transportation to get to work, and food on the table. Yes, some days are scary. Some weeks frighten me.

The only consistent thing in my life has been family, and I finally realized that money was the factor that tore it apart years ago. Do I want that in my life? No. Is that why I turned down the $3,000? Maybe.

When you live a life where everyone is out to take care of themselves, you don’t know what that money will lead to. If I take that money, I would pull myself out of a lot of the debt that I am, plus get back on track with my bills. I just want to earn it though. I want it to be my own money that I busted my butt for. Not someone else’s money so they can come back and hound me for it back. That’s why I say no. I can’t put myself in a position where my family turns against me because of a piece of paper. Sorry, I needed to rant a little.

10 Smells That Make You Happy

I heard this on the radio the other day and I thought this would be a great topic to post today. Hopefully this post can bring happiness and joy to others, and kindly reblog, share, and post your own smells that bring happiness to your life.

1. Cookies in the Oven: I enjoy the smell of cookies. It’s mouth watering and makes me excited to be able to enjoy the delightful taste. It also reminds me of my parents baking them every holiday.

2. Cut Grass: After I cut the grass, I love the smell that lingers in the air. Not the fuel smell, but the smell of wet or dry grass. Reminds me of when I played baseball back in middle school.

3. Sweet Perfume: I just love all of the melon and citrus smells that come off of a woman. It makes me want to just hug the air and reminds me of my fiance.

4. Cigarettes: Alright, I know this is a bad habit and I don’t smoke, but I do like the smell of smoke. I don’t know why, but it reminds me of poker nights and performing in a band back when I was younger. A weird smell but it just brings back those good times with friends.

5. New Car Smell: Who doesn’t like the smell of a new car? You just forked over thousands and the least you can get is a fresh car smell that brings chills down your spine.

6. Hotel Rooms: The smell of hotel rooms is just that small reminder that you are on vacation and finally away from home.

7. Ocean Air: I love the scent of salt in the air. Plus, the breeze and sounds of the ocean. It’s very relaxing.

8. The Grill: Anything that goes on the grill whether it’s hotdogs, hamburgers, or steaks, the smell is divine. Grilling out reminds me that summer is here and baseball season is in full swing.

9. Burning Leaves: I love the barbeque smell that lingers in the air. Especially while I’m driving and the windows are down. It just makes me want to go home and start grilling some food.

10. Beer Factories: The smell of yeast wafting is the air is strong at factories, but it really does make me crave for a stein. The smell of hops also makes me happy too.

A New Direction

I’ve been fascinated with writing stories in fantasy fiction and science fiction, but I recently fell into a new interest; nonfiction. I’m planning on putting together a few stories about myself, my grandfather, and my dad. I wanted to do three separate books because I think a generational style of a story would be pretty cool to do. Anyways, I’m also interested in finding out more about my grandfather. Plus, my dad is interested in knowing more about his dad as well.

I am currently searching for information about how my grandfather earned his medals in World War 2. I know my dad has told me about my grandfather’s service at Iwo Jima, but it is very vague. I know my family has letters that he sent my grandmother throughout his service, and my aunt has all of his medals. I know this is going to be a long trek to find the clues and pieces to put this puzzle about his life together. I may have to interview each one of my aunts and uncles to find some of the answers. It’s going to be a long haul, but I would love to put his story together and have an idea of what his life was like. Especially since he died before I was born.

If any of you have any ideas of where I can start with my searches for his Marine Corps records, please send me links. I would greatly appreciate it and so would my family.

I was planning on doing another book about my father and his service in the Army. Like I said, I have vague memories of what my father told me, but I was going to shoot towards his time in the Army up to when he had to leave because of his heart. I think he told me he almost had to be sent to Vietnam, but he had a bad heart. Also, I wanted to try and paint a picture of his life up to creating the idea of his own business, to the rise of his business, and to the sudden fall.

I will be honest I am a little weary of taking on this task only because I wasn’t alive to know who my grandfather was, and I was not old enough to really experience the rise of my dad’s company. I have seen the hard times he is facing right now, but I really want to make this story of three generations be touching. I’m a little worried I may hit some areas where I have clashing stories between different family members. I have no clue how I’m going to do this yet, but I really want to put these three books together in the truest and best of knowledge that everyone has.

Sorry for the rambling tonight. Memorial Day kind of got me thinking a lot about my grandfather’s time in the military, and I think I may have found a calling to tell his story.

MPS Society Awareness to Find a Cure

I am currently jotting down notes for a novel I am writing about MPS. I have two very close friends Jennifer and Savannah who have been suffering through this disease their whole life. I’ve known both of them for about twenty or so years, possibly longer. If you’d like to learn more about what this disease is please go to http://mpssociety.org/

I’ve been a spectator of this disease my whole life. I still am learning more about it every day. I remember when I was in first grade, I had met Jennifer. We didn’t talk much at first, but we did know of each other. At P.E. or any events that had to deal with presentations, most kids would sit on the floor. The only one who didn’t was Jennifer, and I didn’t know why until I asked someone. It was not out of jealousy or anger. It just made me curious. The person told me that her bones were very weak from a disease she had.

In seventh grade, we became very vocal with each other. It was when I dumped a girl that I was dating at the time that Jennifer called me an asshole. We both still laugh about that today. She even called me a shit head in front of my sister in the cafeteria at the high school, and of course, my lovely sister agreed with her. I guess I can openly admit that I was a pretty selfish jerk then. Anyways, I remember one night Jennifer texted me saying that she could die before she’s sixteen due to her disease. I was devastated by what she said. We talked for a long time that night.

It was a blessing for everyone to find out that Savannah and Jennifer were nominated for the test trials for a new treatment that would help replace the enzymes they need. They’ve endured long hours in hospitals every week. They currently have a nurse that administers it at their house now. I sat in on one treatment just to see what they had to do. Both of them had IVs in their arms and they waited for hours until all the medication went into their bodies. We had lunch together and watched a movie that was about the creators of the medication that has saved many children’s lives. It’s called “Extraordinary Measures”.

Both of these girls, their mom and dad, as well as, multiple families out there have seen the danger, the scares, and the stress of this disease. I know for them waking up without pain is a blessing but that does not happen very often because of this disease. Also, finding out a friend or someone they met has died because of MPS builds tension on their hope to survive. Please, help find a cure for MPS. Educate yourself, donate, create awareness! These kids, teenagers, and young adults fight everyday to not feel pain anymore. Help them rise above MPS and kick its ass once and for all!

Happy 26th Birthday, Jennifer! 🙂