I'd Like to Thank All Those Who Got Me Here Tonight.

I'd Like to Thank All Those Who Got Me Here Tonight.

I heard this during a movie.  The main character was thanking those people who stood with him during his tough battle with sobriety. That got me thinking about all the people who helped me along the way.  There are a lot of people on this list and I wonder why I am so lucky to have so many people to thank.

• My parents- they taught me everything.
• My grandparents- Ida and Jack taught me the value of travel, how to play cards for hours and how to love my family.
• My siblings- they still tolerate me after all of these years.
• My in-laws- all of my siblings married well and they have been a big plus to the chaos of my family.
• My friends- they have been pillars of strengths and lots of laughs.
• My students- I think there are 10,000 of them.  They filled my life with purpose, fulfillment and joy.
• Mrs Jordan- my Social Studies teacher from high school.  She had such an enthusiasm for the rest of the world.
• Dr. Baker- my professor in my Master's Program in Educational Counseling @ PSU.
• Mrs. Sterns from Brandywine College- she was the first person to tell me that I was intelligent.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald- I didn't enjoy reading until I began to read his works and then I became an avid reader.
• Dr. Lewis-The doctor who did my vocal cord surgery in 1981.  I didn't have cancer.
• Dr. Souser- she preformed my breast reduction surgery in 2010 and the results of that surgery dramatically improved the quality fo my life.
• Joe O'brien- he hired me to be the Principal of Springfield High School, PA
• Sal Illuzzi- he hired me to be the Vice Principal of Stroudsburg High School, PA.  At that time, no one was hiring women for this position.
• Scottie Nesbit- he was my boss at Jenkintown High School.  I liked how he treated me and had faith in me.
• Jerrie Uberle, the CEO of World Academy for the Future of Women. I have been a facilitator for the WAFW on four different occasion and they have been wonderful times.
• Holly Born- she was a teacher who lost a child and hide this information from me until I needed her in my grief and she stepped up and helped me mourn.
• Maureen Nesley- she pulled me through my deep sorrow and found a grief group for me.  She took me there and sat with me as I cried my eyes out.
• The Overbrook for the Blind School staff and students- I grew up across the street from his school and I watched their struggles and residency for years and they taught be to persist.
• My Girl Scout leaders- I loved being a girl scout.
• My Overbrook Community- I grew up in Overbrook in the 1960s and 1970s.  That was a great time to live in this family focused neighborhood.  I have a strong sense of belonging and commitment to community.
• The Penn State Community- I have all three of my degrees from PSU and am forever gratefully for the education I received there.
• Joni Mitchell- I fall back on her music in good times and tough times.
• The Caner Patients- driving these strangers to their treatment has taught me how to be humble in a crisis.  May I have as much grace in my time of need.
• The people of Haiti- HFI and FLI-  the people I met worked for free in their attempt to improve their country. They taught their neighbors to speak English so that they could be more employable.  Many times, they didn't have enough money for a meal on any given day.