I can honestly say that The Immortal Life of Henrieta Lacks was one of the greatest books that I have ever read. Not only was it interesting from a scientific perspective it was also a gripping tale of the lives of Henrieta Lacks. This book centers on Mrs. Lacks who died of cancer some 40 years ago but her cells were taken and cultured and are now used in most science labs world wide because of their ability to grow. They are used by almost all scientists in their research. Not only was I drawn into the scientific implications of Mrs. Lacks's cells and the story of the cells themselves, I was absolutely drawn into the store of her children, especially her daughter Deborah. As much as this book was about the science of her cells, the book was also about the daughter that was left behind. I find myself laughing, crying, and more important contemplating the fairness of it all. Here is a woman whose cells have forged some of the greatest scientific discovers of the last 30 years and her children are living in poverty, grown up without a mother, and until this book was written really had no idea about those cells and what exactly they meant to the world. This is a fascinating read, I can truly say that I haven't read anything like this ever and I am truly amazed by this book and feel it is a must read for everyone.
Something I hope I never have to do-Bury my children. No explanation necessary!
What do you have to figure yourself for:
I know this might sound harsh but I need to forgive myself for getting fat again. Several years ago about a year and half before I got married I lost a ton of weight (about 70 Pounds to be exact) and then after my wedding spent the next two and half years slowly gaining about 45 of that back. Then I got pregnant and went on a nine month bender. After that I was the heaviest I had been in my whole life and it took me two years to loose that weight but I was still almost 50 pounds heavier, then came baby number two. That puts me to somewhere in the 80 plus pounds to loose mark. I have to forgive myself because everyday I wake up, look in the mirror and get upset at what I allowed to happen to my body. I think that the sooner I forgive myself the quicker I will be able to feel good in my own skin again.
Name something you like about yourself.......
This has always been a harder thing for me to do. So here are a few things that I am proud of
* My sense of humor. Although my husband insists Im not as funny as I think I am, I think I'm pretty darn funny
* I love my laugh..it isn't a dainty lady laugh it is a loud (probably annoying to some) full body laugh and I do it often
*I love that I give my all to my job and I really love it and my students. I love that I am that person that wakes up everyday excited to go to work and even on the bad days can't imagine doing anything else.
...hmmmm maybe that was easier then I thought
Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.
Ok so I could totally take the easy way out and say my weight but that is an easy choice, I don't know many women who are happy with that aspect of their lives. The thing that I hate most about myself is my need to be liked. This quality has hurt not only me but the other people around me. I worry a lot about what people think of me and wanting to be liked. There have been numerous times in my life that I haven't said what I wanted to, not done what I wanted to because I was scared that someone or a group of someones wouldn't like what I said. I have spent way to much time worry about what someone thought of me or my actions. This has also hurt the people around me because my poor husband has to listen to me be consumed by my own insecurities and I also feel that when I am so worried about what other people think I am not making myself a happy person, the best person I can be for my children. Thankfully, I am working really hard on starting to break away from these tendencies and not spend so much of my life consumed with being liked by others and focusing on being liked by the only person who matters....me
So last night I had a former student over for dinner. Although some people, even fellow teachers, would think it weird to have a student over to their house. They would think that it crosses some fundamental line between your work life and private life. I have never been one of those teachers that feels I need to keep those two things completely separate but I would have never thought of having a student to my house to eat because it would be weird. Last night's dinner wasn't weird it was wonderful.
This student, who I have grown close to over the past two years, has become more than a student he has become like family. Now you might be asking why or how does that happen. In truth I don't really know how it happens, it just did. This student on a good day would drive most teachers a little crazy. He was a funny kid who was too smart for low level classes but lazy enough to not be in a higher level. He couldn't sit still in his seat and was almost always off task. Yet, over the course of the two years he became one of my favorite students. I found out months ago that a lot of his behavioral issues had to deal with what was going on at home, his mom was dying and had been diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was in middle school. As I got to know him more, I realized the reason I liked him so much he was because he was like me. He got up every day, slapped on a happy face, and pretended that his life wasn't a hot mess at home. As I was getting ready to leave to have my daughter he kept telling me how much he was going to miss me not being at school everyday (even when the semester changed and he was no longer my student he came to see me several times a week to check in). I gave him my cell phone number in case of emergency and sadly he needed the number sooner then expected. A week and half before my baby was due his mother died. I was blessed to be one of three teachers he asked to a private graduation ceremony that the school held for him and his mother in her hospice care facility, I went to her funeral two days before my baby was born, and one of few people to visit me in the hospital after my baby was born was this student, I even got to see him graduate "for real". We send each other text messages about once a week to check in on each other and last night he came to dinner. Somehow along that way I became more than a teacher to him and he was something more than just "a student"
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