by Denisa Howe

Created on: July 08, 2009

I hadn't really thought about how I define myself. It had never come up before and yet I sit here thinking and putting to paper my thoughts. I define myself as a person with many assets in life.

OUTLINE:
1) I am the daughter of my mother and my father and two stepfathers. In life, we become who we are from our beginnings. My life was given to me by my mother and father. Through a parting of ways, I was blessed with a stepfather. I learned as much from this man who loved me as strongly as he disciplined me. After his death years later, again I found love and kinder ship with another stepfather. Divorce has touched my family and made us stronger and gave to us others who helped shape our lives.

2) I am the sibling of four brothers. Not the oldest or youngest but part of a unique childhood full of laughter and learned lessons. It is with my siblings that I learned sharing, loving, and even how to cry and rejoice.

3) I became the wife where I learned respect, responsibility, and a place in life. I became the mother of two children and found a love hard to explain. A time in life, I was settled and content with all that was around me. Divorce followed and loneliness. Hope soon followed with the realizations that life is what you make it. Simply stated most relationships are what the two of you make it, good or bad. A bad marriage is like playing ball and when you toss the ball the other one is not there to catch it.

4) I became a single mom and evolved into a strong person. I went back to college, found out things I wanted to do, experience, and for once felt free to choose for my children and me.

5) I married again and brought three more children into our lives. As my family grew so did I as a person. I learned, taught, and lived in the fullest way possible. I found I could be as good of a mother to someone else's children as mine. My husband brought two other children from his past life into our lives and we joined in laughter, hard lessons and joy and pride in us all as a family.

6) I am a me-mal to eight wonderful bright grandchildren who have taught me many more things. I learned the world doesn't stop if the dishes aren't done immediately. A grandchild's giggle is so worth the wait. I learned I am a good teacher in simple things like making French fries better then McDonalds, or mending a Barbie's head back on.

7) I am me. A woman with a wonderful life full of precious memories and learned lessons, all which have shaped me into who I am and knowing that I am satisfied, content and looking back; there's not one thing that I would change. For all in my life certainly made me who I am today, all the good and all the bad either strengthened me or showed me how to cope.

As most of what defines me is my family, I also find I am a daughter, sister, mother and wife who adores playing the bass guitar and drums, I love photography, dancing, giggling like a 5 year old and even dessert before dinner. I fine I have a voice in writing that others enjoy and celebrate in being simply me. My, thanks to my Lord above who has walked hand in hand throughout it all.

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