Family Is Everything - A Tale Of Two Sisters

I decided, at the first of the year, that I wanted to share stories of people who inspire me. 

Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms and all the people I wish to highlight have impacted me in some manner. They each offer a Slice Of Hope into my oftentimes crazy world, and my hope is by introducing them, I will share that slice with you; My Hopefuls.

My first person, is really two persons; sisters to be exact. Shelley and Kelley. No, they are not twins, and in fact, they would probably be the first to say they are quite different on many levels. The one thing they do share however, is their dedication to family and their belief in determination and hard work to accomplish their goals.

Shelley is the older of the two; a little shy, kept more to herself but always watching and listening. She married a great guy, had a son and then a daughter and life was beautiful. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful. She was a stay at home mom and devoted her life to her family. Somewhere along the way, the signs started to present themselves, and before long Shelley knew that each of her children faced learning challenges; both of them have Dyslexia and her daughter is ADHD. It is difficult enough in this day and age sending your children off to school under the best of circumstances but knowing each one would face a very distinct set of struggles, she did more than just feel bad, she took action! The first thing she did was educate herself.

She discovered that Dyslexia is not a visual problem (only seeing letters backwards) or an intellectual issue. It is a condition that effects the brain’s way of processing information both visually and auditory; affecting reading, writing, spelling and even aspects of daily life. Children with Dyslexia often feel (or are made to feel) less smart/capable. They feel sad when they think they are not living up to either their parent’s, teacher’s or even their peer’s expectations. Those feelings are intensified when they turn it onto themselves and become frustrated trying to achieve their own goals; some even developing anxiety issues.

Then she moved on to ADHD. There, she discovered that her daughter’s brain did not work the same as other brains; but that it was a neurological issue. It wasn’t a defiance concern or parenting matter. The impulsivity, hyperactivity, lack of focus and powerful emotions were not done on purpose, and indeed, was no fun to deal with for the sufferer. It’s often described as having a Ferrari brain with Model T brakes. Despite the challenges ADHD brings to her daughter’s life, she taught her to embrace her gifts – creativity, ingenuity and her high intellect. She was diagnosed as gifted. ADHD brings on obvious complications in a controlled learning environment (school) and there are social difficulties as well for those with this condition. So once Shelley had gathered all this information, did she resign her and her children to school years full of agonizing experiences and defeat? Absolutely NOT!

She became a ferocious advocate! She researched everything she could find on Dyslexia and ADHD and learned the handling and coping skills they need. She worked one-on-one with them and their school work oftentimes reading everything. The relationship she built with their Dyslexia teachers helped fill in the gaps and provide support. She attends every 504 meeting to see to it that they are getting all the accommodations they need to be successful in school. She went before the school district to encourage (ok, maybe, demand) extra material and programs so that her children, and others in the system, would not get left behind in their education. And during all that time, she took on other roles as well. Her son discovered soccer at age 7 and she became the treasurer for the city’s soccer association; a position she still holds. She became a substitute teacher and then moved to the computer lab full time.

She really doesn’t consider herself a hero, but in the hearts and minds of her children, she is. They have flourished and excelled in their studies; both on the A/B Honor Roll. They are both in the marching band. Her daughter is the high school basketball team manager and her son is a soccer referee and plays on the high school golf team. All these accomplishments trace themselves back to a mom who decided to be involved, fight for her kids and never give up.

Here are her words: “I love my life. Every up and down, every obstacle and triumph has shaped me. Without the love and support from God, my family and the many friends He sent along the way, I couldn’t have done it. This is my journey and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

But my story does not end here, because we still have the younger sister; Kelley. Now, Kelley was more the rambunctious type, a little head strong; maybe even somewhat of a tomboy. Some might say fearless; others might use different terms, but she was always excited about the next big thing. As is often true when youth and impulse collide, some early decisions led down a painful path. She experienced trouble and loss, yet she never lost her fire nor her will to succeed. She had to start over with two small children, but that fearlessness was still there. Soon, she would meet a wonderful man who accepted her where she was and loved her and her children.

Her new husband had determination and dreams of his own. While working at Home Depot, he started a business on the side doing remodeling and small construction jobs. Kelley was also a stay at home mom, but she decided to help her husband with his start up. At first it was small things; paperwork, buying supplies, handing the tools; but soon that was not enough for her. She wanted to get her hands dirty; literally. And she did. Over the last fourteen years she has learned everything there is to know about the home remodeling business and she works beside her husband every day. She works on the business side, with advertising, and the callouses on her pretty hands prove her love and commitment to get the job done. They are what is now called Copreneurs (Couples who are co-owners in a business together.) For those of you married, I do not have to explain the challenges of working with your spouse all day long, only to come home and share household duties, bills and family life as well. Non-stop togetherness can work on the nerves; but Kelley and her husband have found a way not only to make it work, but make it thrive. They have learned to balance their work life with a home life and become partners who respect each other for what they each bring to the table. Their business is doing great and their love has only grown.

In addition to the hands-on construction work she does every day, Kelley has a new passion as well; also, ironically including the hands. In an attempt to learn a new skill and have a back up plan to help support her family when crawling under houses and between cabinets is no longer fun, Kelley took up nail art! Yes, you heard me, nail art. The up and coming beauty trend of painting beautiful and intricate designs on fingernails. I must tell you that I have tried my hand at painting on canvas, and while I loved it, I could not make a living out of it. To attempt to paint a recognizable and still lovely image on a fingernail is totally lost on me; but she is amazingly talented. She is basically reinventing herself, again. The courage it takes to do that, and the persistence and time to work on her craft is amazing to me.

Here are her words: “I wouldn’t be where I am today and doing what I absolutely love if it wasn’t for the Lord. When I learned to let go and let God, my life completely changed and all for the better. I am beyond blessed and have the greatest family that I get to be a part of. ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love.’ 1 Corinthians 13:13”

I hope you can tell by now the reasons why I picked these two sisters for my first edition of Slice Of Hope. Completely different stories, but the underlying theme is unmistakable. They each took a circumstance or development in their life and turned it completely on its head. They used their own unique and individual strengths and talents to overcome obstacles. They did not back down or concede. Were there rough times; no doubt. Did they struggle with disappointments, failures and the thought of giving up; absolutely. Did they lean on God, family and friends to support them, while they were offering support themselves; I’m positive they did. Are they an inspiration to me? You bet they are!

My Hopefuls, I trust that you can find a little of yourselves in one (or both) of these sisters. I know that each of you reading this has faced a struggle or obstacle in your family, work or personal life. I also believe that each of us possess the inner strength to push through. The answers come in different forms. Sometimes it is knowledge or educating yourself on an issue. Sometimes it is asking for help. Sometimes it is being willing to learn something new or follow a dream. I want to encourage you to discover your own Slice of Hope within these paragraphs and to take the steps to move past the pain or problem and work on the resolution. I would love to hear YOUR stories and be able to share your own Slice Of Hope with my readers.

Keep the faith! Keep up the good work! Keep believing! And always, always, always…

Hope With Abandon!

Hope Out!

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