Human Relations

In my human relations class last week, our (quirky) professor gave us an assignment.  I'll start at the beginning.  My professor has us call her Kathy.  Last week she told us her daughter who lives in Colorado had a change of plans for Thanksgiving.  Originally, she wouldn't be able to come home but now she is.  So she told us over Thanksgiving break we should spend one hour alone with our mother and have her write Kathy a note.  She is known to give extra credit willy nilly and this was one of those moments.  Since I live at home still and commute to campus everyday, I asked, "What if you still live with your mother?"  Kathy asked me if I spent time with her....I had to call my  mom right after class.  This is the note she wrote that night.
 

“A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be your friend.”

      This week an assignment was given….spend an hour with your mom over Thanksgiving break. Oh my, only an hour? My daughter, Angie, and I spend many hours together. We are blessed.
      Would I share her with you? You betcha. Her joy is infectious and her quirky ways will make you laugh. However, I will warn you, your heart will be wrenched in two when her diseases flare and the pain takes her smile away.
When “my bug” was little I tried to teach her that life wasn’t fair. A lesson I learned when my brother was killed. BUT darn it all, life is REALLY not fair to Angie. Her story is long….you should hear it ALL sometime….she really is an amazing person. I’m so proud to be her mom.       Angie is a treasure. Her illnesses are difficult. We don’t know what tomorrow might hold and SO we make the most of today. We spend hours talking….about little things and big things. She has an awesome attitude. She is a wonderful friend.
Michelle


When I gave the note to my professor, she had tears in her eyes.  Of course, I agreed when she asked if she could anonymously share it with the class.  I told her I had no problem with her sharing my name.  She read it to the class and let them decide how much extra credit I should get.  They maxed me out extra credit.  My relationship with my mom is the perfect example of human relations.

Priorities

So, Angelala is still flaring some rockin' Lupus but attempting to push through and not fall behind in school.  This Tuesday was a lecture that I desperately wanted to go to on campus.  The speaker was was Paul Rusesabagina.  Mr. Rusesabagina was the man whom the movie Hotel Rwanda was based on.  What a wonderfully touching movie!  In my Human Relations class, we were lucky enough to hear from a Rwandan refugee who is attending our university.  Luckily, she and her entire family survived.  She had been separated from them and walked bare foot for three mouths to get out of Rwanda, relatively unharmed although tramatized.  But I digress...

Mr Rusesabagina spoke on campus Tuesday evening after a showing of Hotel Rwanda.  I really, really wanted to hear him speak but life happens right....

Tuesday at 2:54pm my uncle Ron had a baby girl with his partner Autumn.  I can't tell you enough wonderful things about this man who has always been there as a solid part of our family.  Autumn is a kind, compassionate, loving woman who has become a huge part of our family.  She became a wonderful friend to me over many lunches full of Culver's fries and ranch dressing.  My beautiful cousin Carli was born by c-section on Tuesday afternoon.  Of course, I simply had to see her as soon as I could and let Ron and Autumn know how excited I was for them and the rest of our family. 

So I left campus early, ran home quick, and met my mom at my sister's house to drive up together.  All in all I spent four hours driving (not including the time I spent in the car not driving).  I didn't get home until after ten and was exhausted.  Wednesday was a bad pain day and I stayed home from school...pushed myself too hard the day before.  But it was totally worth it because I got to meet that beautiful little girl.

Let me introduce... Carli Rayann

Angela and baby Carli

Photo by Angelala

So although I didn't get to hear Mr. Rusesabagina speak and was too tired to go to school the next day, I got to hold Miss Carli when she was only a few hours old.  It's all about priorities and I am so glad I made that decision.