So let's ponder. All sorts of things popped into my mind the second I read the question.
2️⃣ How have you improved as a result of experience over the years?
Were you driven by passion, a dream, or family who steered you?
Life is a continuous learning experience. It begins at birth. A newborn begins it's life learning how to suckle on their mother's breast. But they were given training in the womb, as fetuses practice with their thumbs while still in that nice warm water.
I came from a very large family. I have 3 brothers and three sisters. My mom had three sisters, my dad had 3 sibs also. Everyone was multiplying while I was growing up. It was completely natural for my mom as well as her sisters to nurse a baby, while sharing a pot of tea. At around 9 years old, I was invited to have tea with those beautiful moms, I just adored my aunts, they were much younger than my mom, so they talked to me, let's just say "more openly". It was then that I said, "I want babies too!!" Lots and lots of children. I was inspired by what I witnessed as the oldest girl in a huge clan of cousins.
As the years rolled on, my goal was to find the perfect mate, one that would love me forever, accept me for who I was and provide me with a stable home to rear our children. My career would come second, but I would still cover the bases with a professional license that would provide for me in the event of sudden trauma. Looking back, it was the best decision I ever made. As it turned out, life experience, as I grew older, turned out to be the best teacher.
Nothing got past me as a young woman, I had a goal, my plans were made long before I met my spouse. I took such pleasure in our family gatherings, I knew those experiences meant anything was possible as long as you had a support system, made up of people who cared. I saw that life wasn't always fair. People I knew and loved suffered illnesses and loses, but family always came forward to support and help. Yup, that's who I wanted to be, a caring, loving and giving woman, regardless of the sacrifice. I knew I would fail now and then but I was determined to find a balance in life.
On October 29th,1970, I went on my very first date. I was only 15 years old and the only way my parents would let me go to the school dance with an "older" boy, was to double date with my older brother as our driver and escort. He happened to be dating a girl that was in the senior class at school with my new "boyfriend". I was in my glory. For the first year we dated, 
Well, little did either my dad or I know, that "boy" would become my better half some six years later.
Those six years taught me so much. First thing I learned was not to be jealous of other girls who took an interest in "my guy". He was true blue. We both continued our education earning college degrees that would be invaluable as we started our careers.
Work first, play later.
As I stated earlier, my goal was to become a great wife and a loving mother. A "homemaker" of the best sorts. But first we needed the "home". That meant making money. So for the first 4 and half years of married life, I worked my tail off. Being in the healthcare profession in a hospital setting, you could work 24/7, so when I was offered "call", I jumped right on it. I would work my 40 hours during day shift, then take call for 16 hours on any given day. The money was great.
We bought our first home, with a large down payment, 4 years after we wed.
Life experience and my family taught me early, set goals, don't be afraid to work and always appreciate those that love you.
The same year we bought our little house, I gave birth to our first son, named after his father of course. The man that has made all my dreams come true.
Now retired and living on our farm, our four children visit often with our grand children, we have seven, at the moment. I am thankful for their good health, their talents and work ethics. They know life is tough sometimes, they have seen friends of theirs die young, a cousin die at 22 while jogging, both sets of grandparents pass away, an aunt and uncle who live with severe spinal chord injuries. They have witnessed first hand the importance of family when things get bad.
If I have taught them anything, it's to dream big and never forget, life is a gift and family is everything else.
Passion, dreams, family, in a nutshell, my life.
