I have been thinking as the reality sets in that I am a senior in high school this school year and will be a freshman in college next school year, that I have a lot of people in my life that need to see my graditiude. God has shown me over the past few months that if it wasn't for some of the people I'm going to write about, my life wouldn't be the way it is.
Let's start off with my mom. When I was diagnosed with autism, she immediately knew that I needed an strong advocate for a mom, and she has accomplished that more than she realizes. Having a disability makes people look at me in a different way and that way sometimes isn't good. I am a big target of bullying and when it happens she's right on it to make sure it stops. That's why when I'm on the phone at school and sound upset or am crying, the teachers who know me know I'm talking to my mom. She is always there for me even if I wait till I get home to explain what has happened. I love my mom so much, she has no idea how much. Even when I screw up, there is a deep love that I have for her that cant be broken. I'm usually in tears for an hour after I screw up because I love her so much. She literally has no idea.
Let's start off with my mom. When I was diagnosed with autism, she immediately knew that I needed an strong advocate for a mom, and she has accomplished that more than she realizes. Having a disability makes people look at me in a different way and that way sometimes isn't good. I am a big target of bullying and when it happens she's right on it to make sure it stops. That's why when I'm on the phone at school and sound upset or am crying, the teachers who know me know I'm talking to my mom. She is always there for me even if I wait till I get home to explain what has happened. I love my mom so much, she has no idea how much. Even when I screw up, there is a deep love that I have for her that cant be broken. I'm usually in tears for an hour after I screw up because I love her so much. She literally has no idea.
The next person is my former therapist Kim. She wasn't just my therapist, she was and still is a friend to me. She was my therapist during a hard time for my family. She was the person would take me swimming when my mom couldn't because of school. I miss her everyday. I know I did something for her too even as a five year old and the fact that my mom told me that I did that as a older person, I cherish our memory even more. If I didn't beg her to take me to the pool all the time, she wouldn't have her family! When my mom told me that I did that for her because she met her husband at the pool, I about cried because being five when it happened I didn't know what I was doing. I will cherish the memory of her and I being at the pool for all the days of my even more then I did before I knew that. No wonder when my cousin Greg was going to school in Arizona, and his mom was living with me, gave her my address and she sent me pictures of her at her wedding!
The next person is my sister! She was the one there when I was little when both my mom or Kim couldn't be there. She was the one who drove me to see Kim before we moved to Lubbock. She was the one along with my mom who loved me through the loss of Kim no longer being able to be my therapist and losing all my friends from school in Arizona. That was the largest group of friends in my life since then. I had just a few below that in third grade, and middle school. But in between those years, I only had about ten friends, and only one all around friend. Now it's just the same, but I have three all around friends. She also let me be in her wedding which touched me so much that our relationship grew. Now it's even stronger because of her wonderful kids!!!!!
The next person is my second mom, Ann! When my mom and I moved to Kentucky, she homeschooled me and Ann helped me make friends with one of them being her daughter. She always lets me come over to her house when I need to so my parents can save gas money. She even let me stay overnight one time when my dad was in the hospital. I can't even begin to imagine that her daughter is going to be high school next year! She was six when we moved here. Ann was the one who made me feel welcome in church when we first started there. She always prays for me when I ask her too. In August we had a farewell luncheon for her and her family. Our pastor said that she is a very good listener. She is certainly, especially in my life. If I was having a hard time with my dad and I needed someone to talk to, she would always listen to me. She would end my talking with the same thing every time, "Ill pray for you, Hannah!" Now that she has moved, I seriously thought about leaving my youth group because she wont be there each week anymore, but I have recently learned from God that if I do that I would be hurting a lot of people, even me! I defiantly don't want to be hurt even more than I am by her move!!!! She has done so much for me, and I'm so glad its not a permanent move!!!! She'll be back in Kentucky my junior year in college!!!
The next person is my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Miller!!! She came into my life during a time I was dealing with major loneliness and on my first day she had my friend, who became my friend that day, help me get my desk and binder set up. She, even after sixth grade, has made me feel very loved!
The next person is my seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Mattingly. She taught me how to stand up for myself without being afraid. During middle school, she called me her shadow! She taught me to get out of my shell and dance at school dances. That did more than that for me, it taught me how to be a free spirit! My dad picks on me because my dream car is a mustang- he thinks its because she drove one. Its partly that, but its because I know ill be me in that car and that's what Mrs. Mattingly taught me, is to be me! She has inspired me to become a middle school teacher and that's exactly what I am majoring in. So many people know that this is a hard job and I know that, but when I have a hard day once I become a teacher, all ill have to do is think of her and what she did for me, and my day will become instantly better. That's how much Mrs. Mattingly has touched me.
Next is my eight grade math teacher! She taught me how to be the friend I am now to my all time best friend, Dominic!!!! When he moved in, I had been praying for God to give me a friend for my high school years so I'm not lonely because I knew that my friends would be living different lives by the time we were freshmen! What I didn't know, was that he was planning to give me that friend before I even left middle school! That was a shock! Mrs. Lang helped me to become the person Dominic looks up to in school for help when the teachers couldn't be there to help him. I didn't know I would be doing more than that in high school! She also helped me calm down when they had to switch his math class to special education because that's what's easier for him. That was one day I felt like I could cry all day and Mrs. Lang hugged me and told me that the school is taking care of his needs, but there were still ways for me to be his friend!
Can you guess the next person, it's Dominic! He has been the best answer to prayer I could have ever imagined! After the middle school switched him to special education math, we were still in band together! We had all district band tryouts so we had a day together that I dreamed of ever since they took him out of my math class. While I was in my audition, my parents told him how I was feeling, which was that we might not be friends anymore. I came out and I got to him, and then stands up and says to me, "We will still be friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That started the rest of our relationship!!! I help him with fire drills now and school!!! Every time we have a school trip together, I'm just ecstatic to have the whole day or the evening with him I feel the same when we get together outside of school! I have learned the past few days that he will also be going to college with me even if it will be six months after I'm already in college.
The next person is my assistant principal, Mr. Schrader. He has done so much for me, its not even funny. He always talks to my teachers when I ask him too and always deals with the people who bully me. He's the one who let me start helping Dominic during fire drills.
All my teachers in high school have done a lot for me too.
If you are mentioned in this blog, thanks for all you've done in my life!
The next person is my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Miller!!! She came into my life during a time I was dealing with major loneliness and on my first day she had my friend, who became my friend that day, help me get my desk and binder set up. She, even after sixth grade, has made me feel very loved!
The next person is my seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Mattingly. She taught me how to stand up for myself without being afraid. During middle school, she called me her shadow! She taught me to get out of my shell and dance at school dances. That did more than that for me, it taught me how to be a free spirit! My dad picks on me because my dream car is a mustang- he thinks its because she drove one. Its partly that, but its because I know ill be me in that car and that's what Mrs. Mattingly taught me, is to be me! She has inspired me to become a middle school teacher and that's exactly what I am majoring in. So many people know that this is a hard job and I know that, but when I have a hard day once I become a teacher, all ill have to do is think of her and what she did for me, and my day will become instantly better. That's how much Mrs. Mattingly has touched me.
Next is my eight grade math teacher! She taught me how to be the friend I am now to my all time best friend, Dominic!!!! When he moved in, I had been praying for God to give me a friend for my high school years so I'm not lonely because I knew that my friends would be living different lives by the time we were freshmen! What I didn't know, was that he was planning to give me that friend before I even left middle school! That was a shock! Mrs. Lang helped me to become the person Dominic looks up to in school for help when the teachers couldn't be there to help him. I didn't know I would be doing more than that in high school! She also helped me calm down when they had to switch his math class to special education because that's what's easier for him. That was one day I felt like I could cry all day and Mrs. Lang hugged me and told me that the school is taking care of his needs, but there were still ways for me to be his friend!
Can you guess the next person, it's Dominic! He has been the best answer to prayer I could have ever imagined! After the middle school switched him to special education math, we were still in band together! We had all district band tryouts so we had a day together that I dreamed of ever since they took him out of my math class. While I was in my audition, my parents told him how I was feeling, which was that we might not be friends anymore. I came out and I got to him, and then stands up and says to me, "We will still be friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That started the rest of our relationship!!! I help him with fire drills now and school!!! Every time we have a school trip together, I'm just ecstatic to have the whole day or the evening with him I feel the same when we get together outside of school! I have learned the past few days that he will also be going to college with me even if it will be six months after I'm already in college.
The next person is my assistant principal, Mr. Schrader. He has done so much for me, its not even funny. He always talks to my teachers when I ask him too and always deals with the people who bully me. He's the one who let me start helping Dominic during fire drills.
All my teachers in high school have done a lot for me too.
If you are mentioned in this blog, thanks for all you've done in my life!
