Life as I know it ...

I sat here this morning wondering about life and what it has to offer.  First, let me introduce myself, I am Wendy.  I am now a middle aged woman, who is married and has one child.  I work full time and currently am in my third year of my doctoral program. I was raised in an upper middle class white family, in a cultural diverse area of North America.  I have an eclectic background.  I have a bachelors in Religious Anthropology (yes, I wanted to be the next Indiana Jones, that is until I realized I would get dirty and I have to be in the sun).  I went on to earn two master degrees, one in transatlantic history, focusing on the gendering of history.  I also have a masters degree in Computers from my dream school, Columbia University.  I am now considered as having an Ivy League education.  I am now in the process of earning my doctorate in Leadership with a concentration in conflict management and crisis management.

It is funny how we define ourselves.  In introducing myself, I literally listed my educational qualification from a resume.  Why couldn't I state that I love Disney, I run or that I am an awesome mom (most of the time).  I wish when people ask who I am, I could tell them that I am funny and corky with a strange but geeky sense of humor.  I love to make costumes and dress up.  If I could I would wear a cape everyday because it makes me feel empowered.  I would love to say that I think I am secretly a superhero who tries to focus the world around me to do things for the greater good.  I wish I could say that I was considered a "weak" and sick kid, but that was just what others saw, I was really a kid who was smart with an extraordinary imagination.  A kid who grew up keep that imagination and even though I am nearing 40 I still feel like that nine year old who just wants to run and play and dream about the most impossible things.  I realize that there is so much that can define me, but when people ask who I am, I revert to my educational background in order to define myself.  I do not know why.

Hopefully with this blog, I can introduce you to the real me.  The one that is funny and corky and who still dreams of big impossible things.  The person who likes to put her hair in pigtails, just because it's cool.  Someone who wants so much to say screw off society and play on the playground and play in the sand and build a sand castle even if it looks more like a heap of dirt.  I want to share my thoughts and dreams.

See I realize that time is precious and we all have a limited time to encourage, influence and be who we were meant to be.  Most can assume they will live long and prosperous lives.  I on the other hand know my time is limited, every day my body seems to let me know this.  Even more so in the last few weeks.  See I have a chronic illness that will eventually be my end.  I love that they say chronic but at the same time we all know its terminal.  I have Lupus, and with that I have several other syndromes and diseases that are slowing breaking my body down.  The goal of this blog is for me to share with you my life and how I have lived. My dreams and my hopes for the future, I have.

I am not sure where this is all going, but I hope that my thoughts and life experiences will help others live a more vivacious and exhilarating life.  The hope is that you do away with fears you may possess and do what is in your heart -- live life! Define yourself by who you truly are and not by the social constraints, we have placed upon ourselves.

Until next time .... Live Life .... your way!!