Growth (W10)

My Dad is a giver to a fault. He is six years younger then my mom. He retired the year before she was diagnosed with alzheimers. He has given up his dream retirement and travel to take care of her.

W10 credits her father for teaching her about kindness. Based on our interview he is selflessly
dedicated to caring for his wife. W10 tries to spend weekends with her parents when she can. It was heartbreaking to hear about her moms condition and how advanced it is at such a young age. It was equally heartwarming to hear that she and her father have stepped up to the plate during what must be an incredible trial.

At 33 years old W10 says she feels most powerful when she knows what she is doing. Examples of when and where she feels powerful are when she is in the kitchen and when she is watching baseball. She is a devout St Louis Cardinals fan for sure!

When I asked about what made her decide to be interviewed she told me that she likes meeting new people. She was recommended by a mutual friend and said she enjoyed reading the stories.

She told me, "I think singles should speak up." (Now that is a thought I agree with)

A New Perspective

Historically, I would not characterize myself as a writer or as a researcher or as a lot of things.

One night in early December, I was having trouble falling asleep as thoughts of my upcoming birthday ran through my head. The close of an incredibly eventful year was coming near, with the beginning of a new year right on its heels. My repeating thought was not about what has or has not happened over the last year. Rather, it was about why I am so focused on what I am not, what I do not have, and what I have not accomplished by this point in my life.

I have many great qualities. I have everything I need. I have accomplished many things.

This internal counseling session went on for a while, as you may have already imagined.

I turn 35 in a few weeks. This is exciting simply because I love celebrating birthdays. I love milestones and reflection and anticipating what the next year will bring. My life is not what I thought it would be when I was a teenager, planning my next 80 years down to the last nonsensical detail. (Why do we do that?) While it is not the cookie-cutter fairytale that I had anticipated, it has turned out to be a more substantial and fulfilling life than I was capable of envisioning at 16.

My oversimplified profile is: single/no kids/never married.

But, who am I, really?