Adios 2013

We did it. No sweeter words have ever been spoken.

I'm not quite sure where to begin. The tears of 2013 have finally dried up and the wounds have been healed. This past year was a continuation of landslides that brought us back down to the bottom of the mountain after we had worked so hard to see the top. 

January was the month I tried to be optimistic about what was to come. After taking nearly 4 weeks off work to be with Tyler during his recovery I thought the worst was over. Wrong. That month the bills poured in. Each time they came through the mail box I would just sit and attempt to come up with a plan of where the money was coming from. It was up to me. Tyler was working hard to recover as fast as he could. Didn't these doctors know we were living paycheck to paycheck before they charged us $25,000 for a 90 minute surgery. It was in those moments of thought I would pray for a miracle; something or someone that could make this money possible.

My prayers were answered. My mom has this way of sensing our needs. I had been cleaning with her for several years but immediately following Tyler's surgery I was handed 8 cleaning jobs that were either weekly or biweekly. The families at school were also calling me several times a week to babysit. Most days consisted of me getting up at 4:30 in the morning and being at my cleaning jobs from 5:30-10:30. I would then go to work at school from 11:30-5:30 and then babysit from 5:30-8:30. I would get home at 9 and immediately head to bed. That was our life for several months.

In the first 45 days of 2013 we payed over $3,000 in medical bills. Not a penny of my teaching salary went towards those bills. By the end of this year we have paid over $8,000 in medical bills. That's 65% of my teaching salary. No joke. It is because of my mom and my families at school we are able to end 2013 free of medical debt. I will be forever grateful for the people that helped us get rid of that burden.

After 5 long months, Tyler was able to return to full duty. The doctor said he would never be able to turn his palm upwards. After only 6 weeks of therapy he was able to flip his palm completely over. He had beat the odds and hasn't missed a beat. We are blessed for sure.

In May our community decided to make the Relay For Life of Harrisonburg the #1 Relay event in the state of Virginia. They raised over $440,000. Co-Chairing this event has been one of the most humbling experiences. All of the hard work and sleepless nights were well worth it. It's amazing to think that we are known throughout the division and the entire country. Heather and I were recently asked to come to Seattle to be recognized and be on a panel regarding our event. I don't take this opportunity lightly. I'm the leader and person I am today because of my volunteers.

On October 18th I got a call that brought me to my knees. The American Cancer Society had called to offer me a job as a Relay For Life Specialist. A dream come true to sure. This decision soon became the easiest and hardest things I've ever had to do. It was the easiest decision because my entire life outside of work had been Relay. I love all that Relay stands for. I would be fulfilling the promise I had made 12 years ago; I was going to find a cure for cancer.  On the other hand I would be leaving my kids, my teachers and assistants, and my home Relay. I realized that all of these people had made me into the person I was meant to be and I was doing them an injustice by staying in my comfort zone. I was meant to be a world changer.

I needed a fresh start. I needed to find a way to put our life back together after months of struggle. I needed to be led by someone who appreciated me and believed that I was worth more than a paycheck. I have that now. I am appreciated and respected by my superiors. The work I do everyday is making a difference in the fight against cancer. I have a purpose once again.

 I hit the refresh button in November and haven't looked back. And this is how I want 2014 to start. Our entire life has changed. I love going to work each day. I use the commute as time for me to reflect on what needs to be done. I don't have to worry about over drawing our bank account with bills that need to be paid. The weight of the world is off our shoulders. The last year of struggles made this new phase of our lives bittersweet. 

2013 was the year we got over ourselves and decided that no one was going to hold us back. We did what we needed to do and we did it without complaining and with a grateful attitude. At some point we both lost our sense of purpose but when it came back it was absolute bliss. We are blessed and highly favored. Here's to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014.