Now  that the month’s Blog 30 Challenge is complete this last qualifying blog post is to honor my Dad. If anyone was ever up for any kind of challenge at all it was my father. True my mom taught me empathy and compassion.  And  that works like velvet to  cover the shield of protection that my dad taught me to use for those less fortunate than me. But my Dad molded the shield.

Mom was 16 and Dad was 21 when I was born. Mom was a little cheerleader with way too much enthusiasm and Dad was taught to do the right thing.  Her being little and me being the first born was the first challenge.

On a very cold January morning I was born in a medical clinic in a little town in Montana. Because of my Mom’s small size, I had a hard time being born.   I was born not breathing because of the stress. The doctor came out from the room to tell my 21 year old Dad that I would not live. My dad took immediate action. “Boy or girl does not matter” he said ” I am going to make this right”

He came in and picked me up and he breathed a little forcefully  into me  to get me to start breathing. He knew to do this from being a cattle rancher. That is what we sometimes have to do to get calves to start their own lives.

That action did  get me to breath.  But I had been without air for about four minutes. My parents would later learn that some of the motor cells in my brain that operate the right side of my body had been destroyed. So now the challenge was to get me to be able to  walk, talk, and move somewhat like the other kids do.

Dad stepped up every time and did all he had to do to help me believe I could choose how I wanted to live. Those conversations I remember well. Not once did my Dad say or do anything less than help me believe in myself.

Now it is 50 years gone by. The belief he put in me helped me graduate top of my class at Univ. of Texas, made it possible for me to give a talk at a national medical conference,  allowed me to garner a couple leadership awards along the way too.

But the last few years my Dad’s words had dimmed a bit.  I have battled depression for the last seven years and only just the last six months have I started to feel the power of my father’s voice urging me to try harder.

I am not too sure what prompted other people to take up the  Blog 30 Challenge. For me I needed this to complete something ONCE that I had committed to do.

As I see  it Jeanette  and Connie have probably saved my life only by offering a challenge.  By doing this;  completing this;  I can feel the Spirit  Warrior in me rising up from a long slumber. Taking this across the finish line  means so much to me. It’s time to rock the house!!

Thanks Dad

I made it Happen

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