Y'all guys, I have to tell you about this amazing woman in my life. I've known her since she was 11, and the person she is today is just so overwhelmingly inspiring, I have to share. She's a bit younger than I, but she has girly bits, so I can totally #wcw her, right?
So I know this woman and she inspires me: to be a better wife, mom, a better me. She's seen some shit y'all, been through the freaking ringer. Her story, in it's entirety, is not mine to tell, but here's a glimpse.
The summer after her freshman year of high school, she was all but kidnapped. She was completely ripped away from all things, people and places familiar, taken over a hundred miles away and dropped into a foreign situation with somewhat familiar people. Her normal was nothing like where she was forced to be. NOTHING. She wasn't allowed to go back, not even for visits. Her friends in the other town went from crying with her and making plans to whisk her back home to turning on her badmouthing her and attacking her on social media. She was forced to go visit with a counselor on a regular basis. She was very angry and pretty unhappy for weeks, which felt like months, years, a lifetime.
She was angry that her summer time and her plans of chillin' with her peeps and livin it up were stolen from her. She cried, a lot. I'm fairly certain that she hated those somewhat familiar people, but she never said that out loud. She was forced to spend 100% of her time with these somewhat familiar people, and wasn't allowed to have much privacy. It was hard and it felt completely unfair. In the midst of all this heartache, she slammed her door a couple times, and that was the worst of her behavior.
In July she got a little breathing room, because she was signed up to take driver's ed. She had to get up as early as a normal school morning, which we all know is the opposite of what any teen wants during summer break, but she was dropped off at the class until noon. She got to start talking to other people her age. She didn't make any fast friends, but at least she wasn't stuck being babysat at 14 years old, well not 24/7 anymore. She made a couple friends with teenage girls that were daughters of her 'somewhat familiar people's' friends.
She did get to go on a few small summer getaways, but not the ones she had planned prior to summertime, and after almost two months, her heart began to soften. She didn't miss her shitty friends, and she was making a few new ones. She began to explore the idea of staying with the 'somewhat familiar people' who she had allowed herself to get to know again. She started being involved with family dinners, games, chores, and she even called it home. She started calling us her family. Dad, step-mom, her sisters and her brother. She wanted to stay.
She enrolled in a brand-new high-school, in a brand-new town. She didn't know a single soul at school on her first day of Sophomore year. She made friends quickly, within days. She involved herself with kids her age that were nothing like her 'friends' in the other place.
She was told she couldn't run cross country because try-outs took place at the end of the previous year. But then the coach saw her run during athletics, and invited her to join the team. She got involved in sports with the school and she kicked ass. She worked really hard on keeping her grades up and was able to be proud of the effort she put in. She nearly cried when she got strep and had to miss school, because this year, she really wanted perfect attendance.
Alli Sugar is my #wcw. This woman y'all, she is beautiful. Inside and out. She is the most kindhearted and tender spirited person you can imagine. She is truly amazing. The transformation of her heart in less than 90 days was absolutely incredible to watch. She handled it more gracefully than I ever could have imagined.
She has good friends, and sincere friendships. She has a positive attitude more often than not. She busts her ass to make good grades and to succeed in sports. She does her chores around the house, usually without being asked and then some.. And I know some of you are probably reading this thinking that I am trying to just kiss her ass so we can be friends. We aren't. And I tell her that all the time because I'm mean like that. I love her dearly, and she knows this, but I will also ground her from seeing the light of day when necessary, and she knows that too.
I'm just so proud of her. I am amazed at how good she is at human-ing and she's only 15. I was a shit and a half at her age, and I didn't go through anything traumatic.
So consider this all my proud moments from the last 4 years, that I didn't get to brag on her. My catch up, shout it from the rooftops, old school Christmas Letter Family Update.
chat soon!
xo
b
So I know this woman and she inspires me: to be a better wife, mom, a better me. She's seen some shit y'all, been through the freaking ringer. Her story, in it's entirety, is not mine to tell, but here's a glimpse.
The summer after her freshman year of high school, she was all but kidnapped. She was completely ripped away from all things, people and places familiar, taken over a hundred miles away and dropped into a foreign situation with somewhat familiar people. Her normal was nothing like where she was forced to be. NOTHING. She wasn't allowed to go back, not even for visits. Her friends in the other town went from crying with her and making plans to whisk her back home to turning on her badmouthing her and attacking her on social media. She was forced to go visit with a counselor on a regular basis. She was very angry and pretty unhappy for weeks, which felt like months, years, a lifetime.
She was angry that her summer time and her plans of chillin' with her peeps and livin it up were stolen from her. She cried, a lot. I'm fairly certain that she hated those somewhat familiar people, but she never said that out loud. She was forced to spend 100% of her time with these somewhat familiar people, and wasn't allowed to have much privacy. It was hard and it felt completely unfair. In the midst of all this heartache, she slammed her door a couple times, and that was the worst of her behavior.
In July she got a little breathing room, because she was signed up to take driver's ed. She had to get up as early as a normal school morning, which we all know is the opposite of what any teen wants during summer break, but she was dropped off at the class until noon. She got to start talking to other people her age. She didn't make any fast friends, but at least she wasn't stuck being babysat at 14 years old, well not 24/7 anymore. She made a couple friends with teenage girls that were daughters of her 'somewhat familiar people's' friends.
She did get to go on a few small summer getaways, but not the ones she had planned prior to summertime, and after almost two months, her heart began to soften. She didn't miss her shitty friends, and she was making a few new ones. She began to explore the idea of staying with the 'somewhat familiar people' who she had allowed herself to get to know again. She started being involved with family dinners, games, chores, and she even called it home. She started calling us her family. Dad, step-mom, her sisters and her brother. She wanted to stay.
She enrolled in a brand-new high-school, in a brand-new town. She didn't know a single soul at school on her first day of Sophomore year. She made friends quickly, within days. She involved herself with kids her age that were nothing like her 'friends' in the other place.
She was told she couldn't run cross country because try-outs took place at the end of the previous year. But then the coach saw her run during athletics, and invited her to join the team. She got involved in sports with the school and she kicked ass. She worked really hard on keeping her grades up and was able to be proud of the effort she put in. She nearly cried when she got strep and had to miss school, because this year, she really wanted perfect attendance.
Alli Sugar is my #wcw. This woman y'all, she is beautiful. Inside and out. She is the most kindhearted and tender spirited person you can imagine. She is truly amazing. The transformation of her heart in less than 90 days was absolutely incredible to watch. She handled it more gracefully than I ever could have imagined.
She has good friends, and sincere friendships. She has a positive attitude more often than not. She busts her ass to make good grades and to succeed in sports. She does her chores around the house, usually without being asked and then some.. And I know some of you are probably reading this thinking that I am trying to just kiss her ass so we can be friends. We aren't. And I tell her that all the time because I'm mean like that. I love her dearly, and she knows this, but I will also ground her from seeing the light of day when necessary, and she knows that too.
I'm just so proud of her. I am amazed at how good she is at human-ing and she's only 15. I was a shit and a half at her age, and I didn't go through anything traumatic.
So consider this all my proud moments from the last 4 years, that I didn't get to brag on her. My catch up, shout it from the rooftops, old school Christmas Letter Family Update.
chat soon!
xo
b
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