I am

So, I haven't been able to post as often as I had hoped. I tried though, & did think more about what I am thankful for, than I think I would have, had I not started this. I hope I still can keep this up at least once a month after November.
Today's thankful post is about being different. My life has always been different, & even though not everything has been good...I wouldn't know what I know, or be who I am without a lot of it. The song is again one I like, that for me fits this subject of owning the differences we each have.

I am a contradiction to myself in some ways. I am a Gemini & a Cancer, born on the day in between. I've been the oldest & a middle child. I've been a caregiver, family member, advocate, patient, volunteer & friend. I've ended up seeing life from so many perspectives that hopefully I can relate to more people, & know more than I would have otherwise.

My mom had a home daycare which felt like I had many brothers & sisters. I learned how to calm a baby, cook for many, & take care of & deal w/people w/all different types of personalities. I can deal with anything, & am rarely surprised by what anyone tells me. Most of all I learned patience, it's really, really hard to make me angry. I don't tend to get frustrated, or flustered, & because noise was a norm, I have been able to help people that others couldn't deal with.

I also spent so much time with my Papa(grandpa) & cousins. He took care of us, & it was great to have someone who taught me so much, & to be so close to family. I had a lot of amazing family all around each taught me something important. An aunt gave me the opportunity to feed the homeless & help in other ways that definitely effected the way I think of things, & live. I was lucky enough to know & be loved by someone who joined our family from another country when I was a baby. From them I learned about another culture, & how amazing our world & everyone is beyond where I live. My dad was a pilot & skydiver, & it was so fun to be able to hang out & see a lot of things that no one else ever has. I loved to fly! It was a unique life & it was mine.
Thanks to my learning disabilities, I had to fight to learn...I had trouble communicating, still do to a point. I relate to people who can't speak, sometimes better than those who can. I use songs, movies & quotes to express what I feel.
My physical problems have shown me a totally different life. It's not easy, & I would often wish things away if I could. I'm often ashamed, have lost friends, dreams, & had to fight for a lot. It is because of all of this that I have tried to fight for so much. I know things now that others don't, & have a voice to share it. The ways I am different are the ways that I can make a difference, & why I am me. It won't change the way people treat me, but if it helps with something...maybe just maybe all of it will be worth it. At the very least I know the way I treat others is difference thanks to my experiences, & hopefully will make a difference, to give someone else the support or help them find what they need. Those who take the time usually learn something, or so I've been told, which is reason enough to keep on, & facing whatever may come.
We are all individuals, & when we judge someone, we miss out on knowing something that might have been wonderful. I appreciate those who have given me a chance, & who have taught me so much!