Dear student,
How do I begin to tell you how thankful I am that you came into my life many years ago? I am grateful for you and my gratitude has helped me connect to something larger than myself, to other people, to nature and to a higher power.
You have taught me the importance of perseverance: you kept going while your world crumbled around you, never giving up.
You have taught me the importance of forgiveness: you confided your most personal and traumatic experiences of sexual abuse, from a figure you admired and trusted. By forgiving you were able to transform your anger and hurt into healing and peace.
You have taught me the importance of strength: fight for what is right, charge and stand up to the bastard that tried to destroy you. You advocate for yourself enabling you to be able to take a course of action that makes sense.
You have taught me the importance of love: you continue to love, your children, your brothers, me. You gave yourself the gift of loving who you want when you want, with this comes the beauty of loving ourselves which then affects all others around us and letting us be our true selves.
You have taught me the importance of letting go: walking away from toxic people, the non-believers, the ones that want you to fail, setting yourself free.
You have taught me the importance of crying: to shed a tear, to release, to cleanse and promote well-being. Releasing endorphins helping to ease physical and emotional pain.
You have taught me the importance of being a good, no… a great, Mom: you have built trust with your own four babes, guiding and nurturing them with kindness and love.
You have taught me the importance of devotion: to your husband, to your valued relationships, to your spiritual being.
You have taught me the importance of starting something and always to finish: your school days were not fun for you, you spent most days curled up in a ball or punching lockers with anger, and then years later you pursued your GED, applied to college and completed your nail course.
You have taught me the importance to focus on my talent: the ability to explore dreams and set goals, nail art is your thing, you have mastered it.
You have taught me the importance of honesty: no matter what, no matter how hard, honesty is an important component to life. Being honest empowers us to prove consistency reassuring others that they can believe in your promises.
You have taught me the importance of writing: to put into words, to document, to create. The rush of emotions with words flowing on paper creating positive vibes that help with creative connections and release.
You have taught me the importance of believing in myself: taking control of my thoughts and actions, to create the life I desire and deserve. You were able to cut through all of what pulled at you and were able to find emotional and physical balance.
Your life journey has inspired me. I watched you start as a cocoon and emerge as a beautiful butterfly full of cascading colour and beauty. Your world was full of darkness but you injected ligut as you were able. You are an educator, a Mother, a wife, and most importantly a survivor! Your ability to take control of your life has made me appreciate you and admire you. Your strength and resilience shineS through each and every day. Because of you I have grown, learned and blossomed in life shaping me into who I am today and I am forever grateful. Thank you for being YOU!
Respectfully and sincerely,
Your Teacher
About the Creator
Holly Allison-Kay
Proud mom of triplets, married to my knight in shining armour, loving life and literature!
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Authentic me
My life story of challenging my inner strength with a somewhat invisible disability… It was Grade 5, the last year of my life as I had known it. Something had drastically changed, switched on or off depending on how you see it. Chronic illness has arrived. Darkness and BLACK. They say that black is the absence of colour, I believe it, my colour was gone. Even my facial colour, drained and strained, looking so pale with the only colour in my withered and tired body were my legs and feet turning PURPLE upon standing too long. My heart racing upon movement and position and almost passing out, nauseated, vomiting, unable to eat, so bad they considered tube feeding, migraines, eating handfuls of salt, so many different types of medications, natural, traditional, tilt table tests, stamina testing the list is never ending. So many suggestions and opinions from perplexed and well educated pprofessionals. Family stands by, friends come and most go, not realizing what has happened to this human that was full of life, laughter, school. I remember crying just saying all I want to do is just go to school and be a “normal“ teenager. After years of “what is this” that has made me into someone that cannot function with SO MANY SYMPTOMS that NO ONE can figure out, who is this person? I dig deep searching for the strength to move on in my life of unknown future. I see 100’s of doctors, specialists, professionals and years pass by. Grade 11 sucked but I did it, alone in my bedroom, learning when “stable”. Graduation, I did that too achieving Honor roll grades eight thru 12. My mom always says “thank goodness you are smart like me”, we laugh. Yes, I laugh again. I laugh a lot with my family. You either laugh or you cry, we do a lot of both. So, we stumble upon a hero, one of many that have passed through my life. This hero, a Neuralogist who specializes in neuro muscular illness and autonaumic disorders, says that he can’t cure me but he can help me. Six years later, here I am. I can get out of bed most days. I am GRATEFUL for so much and heavily rely on the kindness and generosity of strangers! 100’s of humans have donated their time, their blood, I get the albumin portion for my infusions. I am now designated with a permanent disability, even this has taken years and so much energy! My life journey has taken me places I never thought I could or would go. My “invisible” disability, with many still struggling to accept that I have “something” wrong with me, I never want sympathy or to dwell on illness but this is a tough gig but I press on. The sun is now shining a little brighter, peaking thru the blinds casting kaleidoscope like colour on the wall. Intriguing, this COLOUR reappearing in my life. I spend hours per week in hospital and at home attached to a pump thru my chest port. This has become my life as I now know it. I celebrate infusion milestones with vibrantly coloured cupcakes and sprinkles, sadly spending more time with my nurses than I do with my family. Celebratory RED cherry on the top, I completed my Bachelor of Education Degree with distinction. I am currently continuing my education journey with taking Inclusive Education. Yes, I want to work with students with varying needs! I want to help others. I yearn to help others. I am inspired to help others. This girl who couldn’t get out of bed. I fought like heck to get out of bed. I learned and grew while in bed. But I was not giving up. POTS. That’s it. Google it. Life changing, life sucking, POTS. It defines me, educates me and educates others. Will there be a "magic" pill someday, we don't know, but until then, this is my journey. I love me. I love life. My chronic, rainbow array of new COLOUR, crazy to some, life...as I know it.
By Holly Allison-Kay2 years ago in Motivation
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