Discovery

Easter this year was a day of discovery for me. I discovered I have a sister that I had no idea had ever been born. My brother send me a text to wish me a Happy Easter then added the fact we have a sister. Once I got through the shock and excitement he mentioned there is not only one sister but two.
My mom was married before and I was adopted by my dad at age nine months. I was very blessed in that my dad adopted me he is a wonderful father. My biological father on the other hand, I do not know him. I only know he has denied my birth until recently.
My brother is only three months younger than I am and we have an older brother that is 15 months older than me. Our biological father was a bit of a rounder in his youth. Chuck and I are close and have been since we met. He and I met at age five and were told at age eleven we were siblings. We honestly had no idea, we honestly believed we had so much in common due to our being the same age. He is my strength as we discover more about siblings and family we had no idea existed. Together we discuss our worries and fears at times in meeting more siblings.
My new sister is Sarah and she found me on Facebook. I never in the world thought I would be found by a sibling that I did not know existed. I also did not think any of them would want to contact me. I am going to our hometown to meet her at the end of this month. We chat at least twice a week on Facebook and have exchanged phone numbers. She and I have so much in common it is a wonder we were not raised together. As we share the moments we have had in life before finding one another we discover more and more how much we are alike. The two of us share many of the same life experiences.
Now it seems I have the family I had always wished for as a child. I wanted a large family of siblings. Officially I have three sisters and three brothers. The third brother we have yet to locate and meet. But it is quite a discovery finding siblings and an adventure locating them.

My Writing

I find it easier to write about the things I already know. The words flow easily and at times in all directions. Typing all my thoughts on the subject can be considered somewhat of a release. Once all the information has poured from my fingertips onto the page it is time to focus. The focus is to choose one to three areas of the subject to discuss. My goal is not to sound as if I am on a soap box ranting and droning on about the subject.
Recently, I have found writing about the things I of which I am not an expert is a nice change. I have to research the subject in its entirety. By researching the subject I am able to have a fountain of information to pour over and choose the one area I would like to focus and learn more about on the subject.
All in all writing is both a learning and growth process. I must leaarn what to put in and most importantly what to leave out of my writing. There are some topics that are too personal to write about in an essay. Other topics are open for discussion and input is easier to take.

My Children

My oldest son is a college freshman. It is almost as if I blinked and he was grown. He is already thinking about changing his major and altering his career choice. I feel this is a good move for him due to the fact he is enrolled in general education classes.
My younger son graduates high school this year. His graduation day approached too quickly. He is a young man and ready to embark on his future. Next fall he too will be a college student working toward his educational goals. Presently, he is overwhelmed with the number of choices he has in the area of career.
My oldest daughter is a high school freshman and knows she will attend SIU. She has changed her major a few times, and I feel she will be set when she arrives at college and changes will be at a minimum. Her career choices range from social worker to attorney, psychologist to teacher. I believe she will do something that will make a difference in the world.
My youngest daughter is in thrid grade. She is a very bright child like her older siblings. Her goal is to make a difference. Right now she would like to be a teacher but I know that will change as she gets older. My youngest is a person all of her own. When she was younger she seemed like she had a little bit of each of her siblings personalities rolled into one. But now she is truly an individual.
All of my children in ym opinion are very talented and intelligent. They bring me much joy in this life which is a blessing. I hope each will follow their heart and do what they feel passionate about as adults.

My Writings

My writing lately has been a struggle. I seem to be held in place on my first essay. Continuously looking over it wondering how to change it to something more worthy of an A. It seems to be a very far reach away. Lucky for me Stephanie has given me guidance to improve what I have begun. I am hoping this will work so I can finally put the paper to rest rather than continue the tweaking process. This is the longest I have spent finishing a paper and feel a little stress.
Presently I am insearch of how to improve not only mi first paper but my second one also. The second paper does not seem to be as much of a task as the first. So, I will complete it and be able to lay it to rest.
Lastly, I will need to produce two more papers of better than C quality to achieve the grade i want by the end of this class. I am somewhat timid when it comes to approaching yet another paper for class. But I will continue on and take it as it comes. It is helpful my peers review the papers and help guide me to the best possible paper I can produce.

Going Green and Healthcare Reform

Consider for a moment what "going green" means to a person working in the medical field. When companies go green ataff is reduced and it makes job openings more limited. The new healthcare reform could potentially limit jobs also. By makiong medical insurance available to all and cutting medical costs, I see less jobs in the future and possible loweer pay.
As a nursing student I am concerned about how each will effect my future. Will there be openings for all of us graduating from the program? I hope so, all of us have worked hard to get to where we are and look forward to beginning our career as a registered nurse. Methodist decided a few years ago to go green and that cost around 106 nurses their jobs. The remodeling Methodist did made units more ergonomically friendly which meant less staff was needed per unit. Now add the new healthcare reform with medical costs being cut, it makes one wonder how many more jobs will be lost. Methodist is not the only hospital making cuts, it is happening in all hospitals nationwide.
I agree all people should have affordable healthcare and that costs in healthcare have sky rocketed over the years. But, how will all these things meant to be good affect those of us working toward a degree in the medical field?

Me, Myself and I

When writing about me and the interests I have it becomes a bit of a task. The task is not finding things to write about but rather narrowing down the information I add to the paper. I have a tendency to write freely and add all the information that comes to mind rather than beginning with an outline. I scour all the information I can find, pouring together all the information I have located and have a tendency of losing the main idea. In the future, I shall outline my thoughts and remain in the same thought throughout the entire paper.
Myself as a writer, I am comfortable. I do not have a problem doing the research. Nor do I dread the idea of researching a new topic. I look forward to the research and gaining the new knowledge. By gaining the knowledge I am able to move forward on topic and know I am on track with the information I am writing about in my essay. My comfort level is high on topics I am already knowledgable. But, comfort level on new topics is not as high. I feel I must look at the new topic form every possible angle and research until I have developed a mid-reange comfort level.
I am looking forward to completing my essays that must be written for this semester. My hopes are that it will help me in my future. The ways I am hoping it will help is to aid me in getting my thought processes put together. I will grow into having the ability to write items in the correct order and support my claim.

Rebellion or Reinvention

The question at hand is do teens really reinvent themselves between the ages of
12-18. Some sociologists say it is a patternin life others a rebellion. But which is the truth and is there anything wrong with either one?

Zack is a 17-year-old senior in high school. He has recently decided to reinvent himself and his social life. Zackariah ahs changed his way of thinking, declared independence, lost weight, changed his style of dress, and has reinvented himself. Although he now has a social life that is active he claims he still feels empty and sometimes lost. his time soent away from home has increased in order to keep up with his fast moving friends. It has taken him two months to realize he needs more time at home. The good news is he is a good boy and does what he should. He has a girlfriend and is learning about relationships. Zackariah made changes for himself, personal growth is an important step in life and he is learning as he grows.

Martin is a 19-year old freshman and says he went through some og the same changes as Zack. He was declaring his independence and working toward the man he would like to be in the future. Dating a new girl he really liked seemed to change his priorities in a positive way. He wanted to be more so he could have more to offer to her. Some changes he has made are being more involved with homeework and learning to delegate time a little better.

Anastazia is a 15-year-old high school freshman, and is very independent. Annie has made many big decisions in her young life that she felt would benefit her in the present and the future. She knows what she is good at and focuses on those things. Her style of dress and her style as a person changes as she grows and learns. She has set goals in life that are clear cut and she has a plan. Annie intelligent and loves to read, she is not afraid to admit her likes or her dislikes. She is a part of a group of girls she spends time with when she can and they are all precise like her.

It seems all children must find themselves, so to speak, but for the most part they need to spread their wings and learn to fly so they can soar. All three of these children have found their footing and are moving forward. Each has changed over time, with new ways of thinking, expresssing themselves, dressing, and being themselves. They are a wonderful group of young people and will accomplish what they set out to do because they have been allowed to grow and have been supported on their new growth. They are reinventing themselves and seeing to having their needs met, they are becoming the adults they want to be.

Writing

Writing is not such a difficult task for me. I write alot of letters throughout the week to family and friends. It is easy to write about my thoughts and feelings. My kids are professional texters and seem to feel the need to text on a regular basis to me. So, I am becoming as professional as my children in the world of texting. Although it hardly counts as actual writing. Many times I leave a note on the table addressed to each of the teenagers when I know I will be at work late. It is mostly a list of tasks and a happy thought for the day or a compliment for each.
The art of writing an argument I am not yet comfortable with completely. I am good at research but tend to put things in the wrong order due to not making a rough draft before the final draft. I tend to jump to the essay with great excitement and not enough planning. All the research is done yet I rush to finish the final product rather than take my time and sort out the information.My goal is to put my essay together on paper, sort out the information, and then write my rough draft. The key is to remember to show both sides of an argument in the order that makes the most sense. Also, I need to think of the reader as I am writing.
For me, the writing of an argument will be a true challenge. I have the heart and mind of a crusader defending the topics I believe in, now I must remember to research the other side of the topic. This will be a true test of my writing abilities but I believe I am ready for this challenge.I am looking forward to this challenge.
My other challenge will be to critique other writers on their writings. It will be interesting to work within a group and read other essays. I have not yet experienced this facet of writing.I will not only read the writings of others but share my writing also. It will be worthwhile to have others read my arguments to see if I actually reach the reader. To be honest I do not normally have anyone else read what I have written, besides the instructor.Here is to the challenge of it all and may we all do well with wrestling it and come out on top!

Busy Mom

What do my children learn from me? I am a single mother of four, a student, and an employee of a young company. Our time together as a family tends to be limited due to our current lifestyle. It is important to me I raise my children the right way, I only get one try and I want to get it right. My children and I have a method that seems to work, to balance home, school, and work.

As I mentioned I am a single mother of four. Some would say that is a disadvantage for my children, but I disagree. My children have learned that we must stick together as a family and work for what we need and want. Recently we decided to change our eating lifestyle and have gone all homemade. Why with our busy schedule would we want to take the time? It is simple, it is time together, it is healthy, it is learning to read a recipe. Plus, it is learning what each of us did with our day, how we communicate. We sit at the table to do our homework, while we smell the dinner, we prepared as one unit, cooking behind us. I have taught them to believe in themselves and that anything is possible. My children have learned a person does what they have to do to make a difference, they have learned inner strength. We work together as a family to make our home function and to create a balance. The balance is the hardest part being a single parent with school and work.

Three days a week my oldest son and I take my daughter to her grandmother's so she can take the bus to school. The school she attends is only a few blocks from our home, but we have to be at school by 8a.m. My younger son sees himself off to school each morning. I call before I head in to class to see he is safely where he needs to be that day.Presently, I am taking four classes and am at school six hours per day.It is alarming to me that only 20% of single parents are in college, seems like a low percentage to me. We are lucky to have a support system so that we can have the gift of college and knowledge. My youngest is only nine, so some days are easier than others for her. She understands why I attend college, but not all the time it takes for homework. Her brothers are 19 and 17, her sister 15, they understand a little better why things take so long. It is more balance, taking time to sit with them and play, listen to what they have to say. We learn together.

Each month I have two to three days off from work. Two days a month my youngest goes to work with me at the office. Other days and some nights I do staffing at a nursing home for the agency I am employed. My ex-husband cares for the children when I work at night. I am blessed in that I do not work many nights, those are reserved for the weekends my children spend with their dad. According to statistics, children being raised my single mothers number in the 21 million range and 27.7% of these children live in poverty, whereas 11.1% of single fathers raising children live in poverty.(about.com)Those simple statistics are not a positive for the children. My children have learned to save for what they want and to know needs must be taken care of first.

I guess when it comes down to it I have taught my children quite a bit. The days seems to hurry by with school, work, sports, after school activities, and life. But as a single parent I feel strong anad know I will continue to guide my children and show them unconditional love. I will remain the parent with the open household, where my children know they can speak openly and bring their friends to hang out. Although I am a busy mom, I am still mom, home each night, growing with my children, and keeping that balance.

Sources:

"According to Single Parent Statistics, Who is the "Average" Single Parent?:" about.com, a part of The New York Times Company,2010

"The Statistics on Single Parents in College"
http://www.singleparentcenter.net/single-parenting/single-parents-enrolled-in-college.html, 2010

Myself as a Writer Part 2

When I view myself as a writer I think back to all the years being surrounded my my mom and her sisters. All the aunts and my mom are excellent writers. Each has written and told stories for as long as I can remember. As a child I would sit quietly and listen to the stories, they seemed so real I felt like I was a participant.
Growing up in a family of writers makes it a touch rough at times. As a school age child stories and essays I wrote would be checked five times, by mom and the aunts. At times my paper would be covered in red from comments and corrections. I grew a thicker skin and learned to take my time on the writing process and began to see less red.
I believe I still need to work on putting items in the correct order when writing. I tend to write how I speak which is said to be middle to end, then beginning to middle. That is a tough habit to break but I am working on it. I find I spend some time just writing for fun, I concentrate and relax a little more on papers for grades.
All in all I enjoy stories and writing, so I do not mind writing essays and doing research. Research is actually one of my favorite things to do because of all the new things I learn along the way. My hope is through research and learning to proofread my own writings I will learn to put items in the correct order. I owe alot to my mom and her sisters, their great stories both told and written, which has given me the inspiration to move forward and write.

Myself as a Writer

Myself as a Writer
I realize while sitting here thinking of myself as a write that I write all the time. I am an author of the monthly menu in my home, and maker of the great list that accomplishes this task each month. I write down all the things the kids and I need to do in the course of the day, which makes me master of the calendar. Also, when I want the kids to do something in particular, let us just say a little creative writing does not hurt a thing.
At work I am the secretary of the office and staffing at nursing homes. In the office I put together paperwork and files. Right now I am working on policies and procedures; they must be updated and upgraded. Also, literature must be researched then written for our educational seminars. I write minutes for our boards, committees, and governing bodies, each has a certain system and must be done in order. The template I use is similar to keeping Church Meeting minutes in that everything must be in the minutes, who said it, why they said it, and what the reaction was from the rest of the group present. I find most of it interesting and look forward to new projects.
School writing, I am confident I can write a strong essay and cover all the necessary items. On occasion I have to admit I rush and do not always give myself enough time to make the essay better. I normally have a thought in my head on what I would like to write about and let it form before I begin typing. I rarely make a rough draft with pen and paper; I normally type the draft then build to the final draft. I like to work in surroundings with background noise, I believe it is due to the fact I have four children. All parents know with children if the house is quiet, there is trouble. I enjoy researching topics before I write about them and look forward to new ideas in areas of interest.

Healthcare

Healthcare reform is necessary. Many who are either receiving Medicare or Medicaid are not receiving the same care as those with 'good' health insurance. One example, a friend of a co worker was struck by a car breaking her pelvis. She was taken to the hospital and cared for in a private room until her insurance paperwork arrived. She had to be moved to a room for Medicaid recipients after her surgery. The young woman was released early from the hospital because she has used all the funds that were allowed her according to public aid. Now, she is at home being cared for by her mother, rather than still healing with medical professionals caring for her daily.
Medicare recipients can only stay in certain units of a nursing home, provided there is an open bed for a Medicare recipient. I understnad the complex way things are done but should we not focus on everyone deserving the same care. Does it not come down to better care for those with better insurance? In this we lose compassion, inegrity, trust, and general goodwill towards our fellow man. We are basically saying if you have the money stay as long as you like. But if you do not I will only taking a few of you for this short amount of time and you can move one. It seems there should be some way to move forward with healthcare reform and still be able to care for all people no matter what their economic situation.