The Help question

My mother died of breast cancer in 1971. I was six years old. I remember one Sunday afternoon, shortly thereafter, daddy and my two grandmothers interviewed over 20 African-American women to find our "help". They all came dressed to impress in starched white uniforms, some even in gloves and Sunday finery. But one stood out to me as I peeked through the dining room swinging door. She was in a bright red polyester pantsuit, and her smile was as big as all of Carolina. Later that day, dad asked me what I thought. Not even hesitating, I declared the lady in red as my favorite, and the next day she was hired. Helen Brown was her name and she was our "help", but more importantly, she was like a mom to me. I loved her with all of my heart. She was with us for 7 years, cooking and cleaning every day...never complaining. She took me to ballet, made our Halloween costumes, taught me to cook, taught us all to drive, drove us everywhere, and I am certain, loved us as her own. Dad was transferred in 1978, so we all moved to Atlanta, but Helen, of course, stayed behind. She had her own life and her own family. We missed her terribly and kept up for many years. Time passed, and we lost touch, but her legacy lives through me always. Whenever I make her chicken n dumplings or country fried steak, I'm taken back to the 70's, to a simpler time and to a woman who came into my life to raise me with love, generosity, kindness and mighty fine taste in clothes.

My friend Marilyn inspired me to never give up. After battling breast cancer for two years and being told it was gone, on her fiftieth birthday she was diagnosed with leukemia and was gone 5 weeks later. She spent those five weeks fighting harder than I knew was possible and still she was taken far too soon. A true inspiration.

I was raised in Georgia during the 60s. My mom had "help" because she worked full time - she returned to work when I was two weeks old. Our "help" was named Flora and she raised me for the first three years of my life. I had the joy of going to visit Flora and taking my children to meet her. When I read The Help, it was a trip down memory lane in many respects. Thankfully my parents were not as narrow minded as Hilly - we only had one bathroom and everyone used it:) I am thankful for the love and care that Flora gave to me.

I have a friend who organized a group called The Cup Crusaders. The Cup Crusaders is a group of dedicated men and women that participate annually in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. This is a 60 mile walk that occurs in 14 cities each year starting with Boston in July. The Cup Crusaders have grown to over 50 strong and have raised over $600,000 since their inception in 2005. Kathy is constantly focused & driven to help find a cure! Bless her heart; she even dyes her golden locks pink for the occasion. She’s an amazing inspiration and I feel blessed to know somebody who gives so much of themselves so often & so selflessly. There are a lot of people out there who think she does it because she is survivor. Truth be told….Kathy has never had Cancer….she does it so nobody will have to have it again!

A lot of our heros wear camo....this one wears pink!

My father and other American veterans who selflessly protect our country day in and day out inspire me.

My mother is an inspiration to me. She has always been supportive of anything I do. She grew up in a poor,large family with an alcoholic father. She married and divorced young. We struggled everyday and I did not always appreciate that as a child. I know that she gave everything she had to make me what I am today.

My mother inspired me! My mother had multiple sclerosis and managed to raise 3 small children on her own. Even though my father left her for another woman she never said a bad word about him. We never had very much money because she didn't have money for a lawyer so she had to scrimp and save for everything. She believed in God and that was her rock - she was always cheerful and never complained about her health or how we lived. Us kids never went hungry or did without the basic things we needed - even though now I realize that she must have. She somehow came up with new clothes for school each year, school supplies and presents for Christmas and Birthdays.
My mother died before I got married but I know that she was there with me that day. She continues to be with me everyday. I see her in my daughter's smile and in my son's quiet demeanor. She continues to inspire me everyday.

I have a friend named Ivette who is truly the most giving person I have met. She is one of those rare people that never has a bad thing to say about anybody and she does not judge people based on race, gender, socio-economic status, position etc. She is truly friends with everybody on our work site. She inspires me to be more open and accepting of others.

A coworker of mine, Lori, just donated a kidney. It's an amazing story. 11 years ago Lori's husband needed a kidney which was donated by his sister Deb. This year Deb's husband needed a kidney which Lori was hoping to donate. Unfortunately, she wasn't a match. The amazing thing is a gentleman in Connecticut needed a kidney and Lori was a match and that mans wife was a match for Jodi. With a lot of coordination the exchange was made. Lori is an inspiration to all of us that know her. It didn't even enter her mind to say no. You can read the full story here: Http://t.co/YgkJvs2

When I was in middle school I befriended the lunch lady. She gave me free chicken nuggets!

My friend Karen has inspired me to become more creative and read more books outside of my comfort zone. We challenged each other to read 50 books last year and supported one another to reach our goal. Every time I get a little in the dumps, I turn to her to lift me up! That's what true friendship is about because I have learned so much from her about the world---and myself. I hope she has gained from knowing me as much as I have from knowing her!

My book club friends (and our goodreads discussion page) save my life on a daily basis.

The hospital had been making me nervous for days. Months had passed, and my great-grandmother, the woman that had raised me, was wasting away to something beyond nothingness. She didn't even recognize me much anymore.

I sat by her bed that afternoon, staring blankly out the window. I don't remember what I was looking at. Perpetual tears ran silently down my cheeks.

I thought the world had ended.

"Baby?"

I looked down. Gran was staring at me with such certitude, such clarity, I knocked over my chair rushing to hold her hand.

"Gran?" I whispered. "How are you?"

"What are you cryin' for now?" she asked. Gran had always thought I was too sensitive. A lump rose in my throat.

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"I know what you're cryin' for," she said, ignoring the question completely. I hadn't seen her so lucid in weeks. "You're sitting there, a grown-ass woman, bawlin' your eyes out because your 93-year-old gramma is on her way out."

Tears clouded my vision completely. "Gran, no - no, don't say that. You're doing alright. The doctor-"

"Now you shut your mouth and listen to your betters." I did as I was told. "Death is as natural as can be. Did I raise you to be weak like your no-account father?"

I shook my head.

"That's right. Because you've got my blood, baby. You're strong, like me." Her drawn, pinched face twisted into a smile. "The rest of the family, they're not like us. They're gonna need you to hold them up. And that's why you can't spend all your time blubberin' about this, makin' me feel bad for bein' old."

The problem was more the cancer than her age, but I didn't say this.

"I lived a long, long life, baby. I had me a great time. Me finally gettin' my rest is nothing to cry over, you understand?"

She stroked my face with her shriveled hands. Those hands had raised more babies, scrubbed more floors, baked more cakes and made more offensive gestures than anyone I had ever known.

"You're too young to carry around sadness in your heart," she told me. "I know things ain't never been perfect, but.. but you're a good girl. You're a bright girl, and you don't need me. You spend your life having fun, you hear me?"

I nodded mutely.

"You write your books and go out dancin', and you remember what I say to you today," she breathed. "You're the best of us, Briana. All of us. You're the best we've got, so don't you waste your time on fear. Never apologize for who you are. NEVER." She growled these last words so fiercely it froze the breath in my lungs.

My great-grandmother, the paragon of boldness and brilliance I had always trusted to speak the truth, squeezed my fingers so weakly I feared she was fading right there, but her words rang loud and clear and strong in that tiny room. In spite of her commands, I wept.

But I like to think my eyes now flash with the same manic fire people so respected in hers. I like to think people regard me with the same mix of disbelief and respect Gran so often commanded, and that they whisper about me as I walk by. The words I write cut straight to the bone and some part of her, I know, simmers still in me.

And I never, never apologize for who I am.

Never.

After an injury, my mother was told she would never walk again. With determination, she worked her legs by hand and after many months she started to regain feeling and eventually could put some weight on it. Now she walks like a champ!

My teacher in high school inspired me to be a teacher myself.

Great Aunt Katie would come to the United States from her home in the Caribbean every few years to work in the houses of upper middle class white people on Long Island. She worked six and a half days a week; she was given Sunday mornings off to go to church. Her work included being a maid, a nanny, a cook, a gardner, a nurse, and any number of other jobs but she was only paid one very small salary. Nevertheless that 'pittance', as she always referred to her pay, was enough after a few years to allow her to return to her home in Jamaica where she would live in relative comfort for a while before she had to go back again to the U.S.to earn money.
What I learned from her is you can work for people you don't care for, endure painful separations from loved ones, and do many things you don't want to do if you measure your time and have an identifiable goal.

My mother is a dear friend of mine and through her hard work and struggles, she has inspired me to build a better life for myself and to never give up on my dreams.

My mother. She was a single mom with a full time job that never hesitated to find time to volunteer for school functions and girl scouts. All while battling an illness.

I am a coordinator for a special olympic team in my area covering 8 neighboring towns. My special olympic athletes inspire me everyday. They always train hard, compete to the best of their ability and are excited with their awards and those of their friends. They appreciate everything we do together as a team!

My children inspire me to be a better mother, a better Christian, and an overall better person.

When I was about nine, we studied Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in school. I remember being totally enthralled by her choice to help others despite the dangers and what might happen to her own life if she were ever caught. I remember she received a serious head injury from a brutal beating, and that she suffered her entire life from that grotesque treatment - and yet *still* made a choice to do good, to rescue her People.

She was the first humanitarian I ever encountered, though we never met; her life story made a most lasting impression on me. Any opportunity to write about someone from history, my first choice was always Harriet Tubman. She fascinated me and I knew at an early age she was very special, remarkable.

Years later, searching and alone for my people, who I believed to be lost to me, I remembered how Harriet Tubman had returned from the north to retrieve her family, still in the south, to bring them to safety. She was relentless and focused. I'd like to think some of her persistence and faith rubbed off on me for after 18 years of searching I found my people. We are together, separated only by drivable mileage.

Harriet Tubman had faith, she never lost anyone she helped to safety, and her accomplishments helped me believe anything was possible if you set your mind to it. I was nine when I learned that; I'm 47 now.

The Greatest Generation inspire me. I respect the dedication and self sacrifice they gave our country and their neighbors. It is a sense of giving that is missing in our society today.

My daughter was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies before her second birthday. She is an inspiration to me. Every day she is in a world surrounded by food that others love, but that could potentially end her life. She has faced teasing at school and a general lack of understanding everywhere. She works hard to have a good attitude about it and wants to someday open a chain of restaurants that are "allergy aware".

As corny as this may sound, it is a fictional character that inspired me to be the best mother I could to my boys. Her name is Olivia Walton. I grew up in an alcoholic home with a mother who never showed much affection, pretty much made me feel lower than dirt and was married and divorced 7 times. You can only imagine my home life! When I married and began having my own children I was determined that my boys would know that they were loved. Watching the Walton's and especially how Olivia dealt with situations gave me a positive role model of a mother that I never had. But it was the love that she had for her children that spoke to me. I showered my boys with love and affection and they always knew they were loved. The older 3 have grown into young men that would make any parent proud, with lives of their own and are loving husbands and fathers. They call me frequently, as we are all spread apart, to "check" in on mom. They have come to my rescue the last couple of years during some rough times for me personally and supported me throughout the ups and downs. To say I'm proud is an understatement! I'm still raising my little surprise package at the end (he's 14), but he is, like his brothers, an amazing young man already. I thank God that I had Olivia Walton to look to as my role model in how to raise a child with love!!

My dad is my best friend and he inspires me every day!

This is the story of a boy and a girl who fell in love in their early twenties. It wasn't the right time, and they ended up parting ways. 10 years later, they bumped into each other and realized that they were most definitely made for each other. After 5 years of dating, they married. They knew they wanted children, but they also knew that they wanted to be in a position for her to stay home with them. Both of them worked in the police department and when she turned 40, she retired. They got pregnant with twin girls and loved those girls fiercely. The girls were both Daddy's girls and they were the apples of his eye. The March after the girls started Kindergarten, he thought he had a kidney stone. A few doctors appointments later showed bile duct cancer. He fought as hard as he could, but sadly, he passed away 11 months after his diagnosis.

I have always admired my friend. She has proven her strength time and again. While she was worried about her husband, she was still a rock for their daughters, calming their fears and reassuring them when they got scared about their Daddy. After he died, as much as she wanted to curl into a ball and be a grieving wife, she made sure those girls knew they still had her and that even though their Daddy was gone they were still a family.

She has gone from having a partner to being a single mother, by no choice of her own. I know things aren't easy, but she makes it look like it is. Sometimes I think about how she's alone at night now, she's the only one to do bed time routines, the only one to get breakfast in the morning. . . it makes me tear up every time.

I am always so amazed by her. She and her husband were so tremendously in love and I know his death took a piece of her with him. The fact that she's been able to put her own grief aside to comfort her children is inspiring to me. I'm not so sure I'd be able to do that if I were ever in the same position. The fact that she doesn't even realize how strong she truly is makes her even more of an inspiration to me.

My son continues to inspire and support me in so many ways. When I was diagnosed with cancer (for the 2nd time) he said he would never give up on me. He researched the type of cancer that I have and constantly helps me in my fight against cancer. Today, I still live with cancer, however, I am living my life in a much more meaningful, healthy and caring way. I owe my life to my son for he has never given up on me and my life.

Sharon

I was an exchange student when I was 16 years. I lived on a farm in southern Sweden. My family in the United States was a family of chaos and I was being made fun of in school. However, I arrived in Sweden without any knowledge of the language and fear. Ingemar Mårtensson accepted me as a daughter and nurtured me, loved me and help make me in whom I am today. It was because of this extraordinary man, that I have been able to raise 4 amazing children. He was able to teach me that I am a strong woman. He was friends with everyone and in fact while I was there, he sponsored a family from Ghana, in order that they could escape starvation and have a new life in Sweden. I was able to go back to Sweden a year and a half ago to say good bye. You see, my father was dying of lung cancer. He lived four days past my arrival. But, he waited for me to come back home. His final words to me were : you are strong, beautiful and I love you. I carry those words everywhere I go.
Today his family and I are still in touch and my son was just an exchange student in Sweden and was able to meet the rest of the family. We call each other sister, brother and daughter.
Pappa knew that everyone has a heart and value, he showed that every day in his actions. I carry on his legacy and he lives through my actions and my life work.

A few months ago, I endured the horror of seeing my mother run over and killed by an out-of-control car. She was 90; still active, still running her own home, still taking the 'old' ladies to church. A widow for 30 years, she never gave in, never gave up; and her family was her pride and joy. Two children (my younger sister and me) five grandchildren, and six greatgrandkids - my own grandchildren. She prayed for each of us morning and evening, twice a day; and her grandchildren knew that if they were in need of help, they had only to pick up the phone and ask "Gran-gran" to pray for them and she would 'put on her prayer socks and pull them right up.' She was an inspiration to each and every one - not just her family but to all those for whom she loved and cared, her wide circle of friends of all ages, the many young people for whom she had once babysat, then taught to drive (she had so much patience; and she loved her car!) and with whom she stayed in contact, and not least, me, her elder daughter. She has taught me so much, left me a high standard to follow, and now has changed her address and gone to a far better place. I miss her so much but am so grateful that I had the privilege of being her daughter and knowing her for all my life. Love you, Mummy.

My mother & father inspire me ... I watch, I learn & I achieve through their guidance I'm inspired.

What wonderful stories! Thanks for sharing!

My sister, Barbara was diagnosed with a paraganglioma tumor. It is very rare and there is no chemo for this. A wonderful radiologist gave her hope with the success of doing radiation. Although it never disappeared it did shrink and stopped growing. About six years later she experienced some problems with her eyes and was diagnosed with MS. How can one person handle not one but two big blows? If you are Barb, you do it with grace. Her faith, positive spirit, and determination not only keep her going but she never complains or says "why me?". She feels pleased that she is not worse off since many have even more to deal with. It certainly makes me think twice when I start to get mad about my aches and pains! She is an inspiration.

My husband is an inspiration to me every day and the most amazing person I have ever known. I have disabling Sero-negative Arthritis & Fibromyalgia. Since our first date in 2004, he is strong for me when I'm unable, fighting battles for me when I'm unable, taking care of me when I'm unable, showering me with a love, a respect and a positive no-strings-attached support I've never known. He works hard for us every day. He's smart, funny and a voracious reader. He's also a Veteran, a "Once A Marine, Always A Marine," and now Commander of his American Legion Post, an organization he's very passionate about. (The American Legion is our Country's oldest Veteran's organization which helps fellow Veterans, current active Military & families and the community). He has opened my eyes to Patriotism and the sacrifices made every day throughout our history & present day to keep our Freedoms and now no matter my feelings for any Administration in the White House, I support our troops. He's such a Good man. The best I have ever known, I love him with every part of my being and thank God every day for being blessed with him.

I am consistently inspired by my co-workers. As a teacher it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the obligations of day to day, but having someone who is in the thick of it with you is so helpful.

My mom has inspired me a lot. She is my best friend and I love her so much! We are both avid readers and read most of the same books. She is always there to talk about books with me or anything in general. If I am having problems with guys, my mom is there, if I am nervous or scared about something, my mom is there. She is my best best friend and I love her so much. I also love how she keeps trying at things she can't do right now. She is looking for a new job and I am proud of her not to quit her search for her new job, I am sure she will get tthe job. Finally I don't know wha I would do with out her. If your reading this Mom, know you mean the world to me and I love you with all my heart!

My mother was the strongest woman I have ever met. She taught me about fighting the bigots and the people who are always ready to put someone down because they are different. She taught me to stand up for what I felt was right and just and to treat others the way "you want to be treated".

My sister has always inspired me. The two of us grew up in and out of foster homes and very poor. She worked three jobs to put herself through college, it took her a little longer than most people. At 21 she was diagnosed with leukemia, fought it and came out stronger. She has traveled all around the world. She now has a great job and is a wonderful mother, wife and my best friend. We don't go a day without talking at least once. She is the strongest person I know and would drop anything for me if I needed her. She has brought me through some tough times. I just hope I've done the same for her.

My mama is my inspiration now that's probable true for a lot of people, but she really is mine. She grew up with a single mother and six siblings being the oldest that made her take on a lot. She got married at the age of fourteen then had my sister at seventeen.She dropped out of school to raise her. Ended up getting divorced. Then she met my father who was abusive and in and out of prison. She realized that she did not belong with someone like that. So with four kids now and on her own she left him and never looked back. Now in her 30's with five children and a new husband she went back to school and that showed me that no matter what life throws at you You Never Give Up. Altogether she had seven kids the youngest being three and she still struggles today but she keeps her head up, and cause of that she is the best inspiration i could ask for.

I am inspired by millions of Penn State Students. Every year, thousands of students participate in an event called THON, a 46 hour dance marathon to support pediatric cancer. All funds are given to the Four Diamond fund out of Hershey Medical center. THON is the largest run student philanthropy in the world (No adult/faculty help!!) Many students spend the entire year raising money, stand on street corners in the rain and snow to collect money, and build bonds with families battling cancer. Not only does THON help with the monetary problem of cancer, these students make kids wishes come true. Just last weekend, they were able to helping a very sick girl named Lexi meet Taylor Swift, her one wish. PSU students help kids have fun and attempt to let them forget, just for a little while, that they have cancer allow them to be a kid!! Penn State THON raised $9.5 MILLION just last year!!! It really is a inspiration that what many adults refer to as a selfish generation can do so much to help make a difference in the life of a child. Our motto is the following: FTK, For the Kids!

Watch this video for more information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b9mQo...
or check out thon.org

FTK Always! <3
One day we will dance in celebration, until then we dance for a cure.

The girls that work the front desk at our library inspire me. They are only 16-20 years old and already possess many positive qualities that will carry them far in life.

My friend Joanne must take medication daily for a chronic form of leukemia. She never complains and volunteers most days in service to others.

My daughter-in-law is a special friend who shares and allows me to share good times and bad with her. We have a very special relationship because of her open heart.

My Gran. Her love was unconditional. Each of her grandchildren were made to feel special and loved and I loved her so much. I think every child should have someone that loves them for who they are, makes them feel special and who will be there if needed.

She has inspired me to be the best Auntie I can be, I have a wonderful relationship with my nieces and nephew. If I give them a 10th of what my Gran gave me I think I am doing well. I also volunteer as a friend/mentor for a young girl in long-term foster care and will apply to adopt in the not too distant future. All because my Gran loved me and showed me the love that children respond to, even when they have loving parents.

I miss you Gran xxx.

My childhood friend, Kate, had cystic fibrosis. I met her when we were in kindergarten. The first time she met my mom, she told my mom (who didn't know she had CF) that she was going to die.

Growing up, Kate was always much smaller than the rest of our class & couldn't play the sports the rest of us could play. Her lungs got to the point where she could no longer play her instrument in the band.

In high school, she carried around an oxygen tank & she was on the transplant list for new lungs. The weekend our class was taking our PSATs, Kate passed away from complications from pneumonia while down in New Orleans waiting for her lungs.

Kate has inspired me to become a blood product donor, organ donor, & bone marrow donor. I couldn't help Kate, but I'm determined to help others. I encourage my friends & family to join me in being a donor as well.

I am always impressed by the children I encounter everytime I go to Uganda. They are poor, some with health problems that would get any one down, but yet they are always smiling. They are some of the strongest kids I have ever met.

My Mother inspires me to this day. She is almost 80, she came to this country with her new husband not knowing anyone. She survived an abusive marriage and the death of a child and is still to this day the best Mum ever!!

I grew up next door to a wonderful elderly lady that everyone in the neighborhood called Granny Cox. I spent many hours on her front porch listening to her stories about coming across Texas on a wagon train and growing up in the deep south. I remember how attentive she was when I would tell her about my day. I would, at times, come home miserable because people would treat me badly due to the "coke bottle bottome" glasses I had to wear growing up. She, like Aibilene, would put her arm around me and tell me I was beautiful and smart and that "as long as you treat people the way you want the to treat you there is nothing in this world that can hurt you." She also told me that "they will understand some day why treating people badly will hurt them more thany anyone else." It took a long time to understand what she meant but in high school I was in a very outdoorsy Girl Scout troop. We didn't cook and sew we went backpacking and white water rafting. One day an African American girl came to join the troop. This was unusual in the predominantly white West Texas town I grew up in and I had a choice to make. Treat Johnny like any other girl walking through the door or follow in the racial undertones of the day and treat her with disrespect and cruelty. Granny's words rang through my ears and I decided to treat her the way I would want her to treat me. Thanks to the sage advice Johnny and I would grow to become great friends. Johnny had a very troubled life and I hope in some way myself and the others girls in our troop gave her a place where she felt safe and accepted. I miss Granny and I often reflect back on the stories she told me and laugh but her biggest help to me was giving me the self confidence to be comfortable in my own skin and to treat others well. Thanks you Granny.

This friend is a distant friend who belongs to a club that I was in - Military Wives. This woman may not even know how inspirational she is but I would venture to say she isnpires more than just me. Lisa lost her husband wihtin the first few months of his deployment. His life was taken when delivering supplies to a nearby village. John's life was taken before he was ever able to meet his newest addition to his family, a gorgeous little girl. Through all of the chaos of an event like this Lisa made it through shining. I'm positive there was pain and tears behind closed doors but this woman took her emotions and started an organization called run to remember. She meets with other woman, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends of others lost while serving their country. They get together to remember all the wonderful people lost and to enjoy the companionship of others who have had to experience the same things. I will never know how she has managed to be so well composed and to raise such wonderful children - it will never cease to amaze me. She is truly inspiring physically, mentally, emotionally. So here's to Lisa and her amazing strength.

How on earth do I begin to pick one person, one woman in my life that has inspired me? I have been honored to have/had so many wonderful women touch my life, each playing an important role in "raising me" to be the woman I am today. Where do I start?
My mother of, course, gave birth to me and was the first woman in my life, the one that introduced me to the world! Next, my Grandmothers, loving aunts, sisters and cousins, a variety of woman with many talents, opinions and lessons to offer!
Through my childhood years I had so many amazing woman school teachers that took the time to listen to me, help me and guide me. My pastors wife played a huge role in letting me know I was loved by God and created in His perfect image. She and many others freely shared with me and opened my eyes to see how many blessings life contained!
There was a very special lady, the mother of a dear friend, that was bold enough to share with me what to do and what not to do if I wanted to be considered a lady!
My mother-in-law gave me her son and an amazing support system I could always turn to and in turn I gave her grandchildren! My daughter-in-law is a smart, beautiful young woman and I find myself learning new and challenging things from her! And yes, she gave me grandchildren...two beautiful little girls that I hope I am able to see grow up to be loving confident women!
I was blessed with an incredible woman breast surgeon that was by my side during every step of my battle with breast cancer!
So many dear women, I am blessed to count as friends, have been there for me without question countless times!
Each woman that has passed through my life has left a little of herself with me. To pick one would be a disservice to all the others! They loved me, cared for me, taught me, guided me, supported me, cheered me on, challenged me, each in their own special way. I am inspired by each and every one of them! I only hope they are proud of me and the woman I am today. I am able to freely be me because of all they freely gave to me!

There are many people in my life who inspire me. But yet, no one could ever inspire me as much as my dad did. We were so much alike both physically and mentally. He used to call me his little clone because that's what it seemed like I was. Although my dad was a struggling alcoholic, he was still the only one who understood me the most and was able to see me for who I really was. In the 4th grade I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and ADHD. Both which I got from my father as he had the same problem. As I got older, my disabilities just got harder to cope with. when i went to sleepovers with my friends i felt embarrassed and ashamed of myself because i had to take medication. My father always told me I had a gift i just needed to learn how to use it. Of course I had no idea what he was talking about. I was only 12. But now that I am older and able to understand, what he ment was that having the disabilities that I have can be a problem but only if i make them one. My disabilities are my gift. I just needed to learn how to use them to my advantage. I used to look at my father and see how successful he was with his own landscaping business and all of his money. He told me all he wanted was for me to be successful in life. Wether it's wealth or happiness. To others my dad was a struggling alcoholic. But to me he was much more than that. He was able to understand what I was going through when no one else could. Even though I may not have treated him with the respect I should have, He still loved me unconditionally the way not only a father should, but a best friend should too. 4 years after my fathers death and I am still inspired by him to be as successful as he was. and to prove to him even though he may no longer be on this earth that I can use my "gift" to my advantage. My dad inspired me to just simply be the wonderful person he always was.