When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

We say thank you to the sales clerk when she hands us our purchase. We say thank you when someone holds the door for us. I say thank you in excess of twenty times a day. We are an extremely polite society, for the most part. What happens when thank you just isn’t enough? There are few words that express gratitude beyond a simple thank you.

I want to take this opportunity to express how thankful I am, to be a member of this family. Without them I would not be where I am today. Around this time each year, we gather with our extended family. I feel so lucky to have such a loving family. I watched the little cousins play with toys from my Grandma’s house. A whole new generation is enjoying toys that are older than me. A recipe for making memories that will last a lifetime!

Recently, I was interviewed by an author for a local paper called, ‘The Bay Observer’. I am feeling the love from family, friends & neighbours. I am so encouraged by the response to the article.

For me, being interviewed was a lot like therapy on fast forward. I started thinking that I could do the interview and keep my emotions from taking over. I soon learned that my emotions were part of the story. Once the interview was over, I felt a sense of relief. I had not talked about Friedreich’s Ataxia with many people before. I had talked about my disorder and nothing bad happened. This has been a cathartic experience for me.

Thank you doesn’t seem enough for what I have gained from this process. I thank you Ben, for being patient and kind with me. You are the perfect tour guide as I take the plunge into the world of writing.

I am not big on labels. I think sometimes people live up to or down to a label. I have no intention of living up to Friedreich’s Ataxia. You might google the name, but that isn’t me. I will not live with the word disabled hovering above my head. I am able in other ways. I refuse to let my disorder rule my life. Attitude is everything!

I am still not as open about my disorder as some other people may be and that is alright.