I Am

I am the baby born in Columbus, Ohio to Carmen and Michele,
Who took me home to Red Coach Lane, where I had a Bambi-themed nursery and scribbled on wall paper.

I am the child who played Little League and princess dress-up and took ballet classes.
Who loved The Wizard of Oz and reading and Barbies.
Who stored art projects in my treasure box
Who dreamed of being a ballerina and never thought she would lock herself in her closet. :)

I am the teenager who sang,
Who wore jeans and sweaters and loved musicals and English class and hated math.
Who skipped class (once!) and then graduated with honors.
Who dreamed of music and knew she would succeed in college.

I am the woman who got engaged (and then not).
Who loves God and my family and my friends (highest priorities in life)
and whose moments of perfect bliss come when hearing good music.
I am the writer who loves writing about ideas and avoids too much filing.

I am the woman who is optimistic and wry and conservative.
I am the person who had a lung transplant and then pulled out all the stops. :)
I am the woman who still loves music and books, but never math.
Who still longs to learn Italian and Latin.
I am the person who dreams of traveling to Europe and writing the Great American Novel and is grateful for every single day
and who hopes to do everything with joy.