Day 05 & People Who Have Redecorated My Brain

Before I get into my actual blog post today, I'm going to get the section I reserve for my blog plan out of the way. Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

Hm... this is hard because there are a lot of things I want to do before I die. I don't have a bucket list or anything, but I have a few things noted in my head that I'd like to see happen. If I'm just naming one - I want to be a mom. There - I said it. I've already blogged about being teased by my friends for being overly maternal. The truth is, I've always wanted to be a mom. Like I tried to explain in a previous post, I have loved children for longer than I can remember. Back in the day, I wanted to have children and give them everything my birth mother never gave me. These days, I want to be a mom and give my children everything that my adoptive mothers HAVE given me. Except my children will have a little bit more - they'll have two adoring grandmas to love them, too.



The idea for today's blog comes from my friend Katie who blogged about ageism and friends, and she included pictures and descriptions of people who had inspired her and changed her life, most [if not all] of whom were older or younger than her. I'm not going to get into talking about ageism - you'd never shut me up. I will, however, steal the second half of her blog idea.

"Some friends change your whole world. They make you reimagine your life. They redecorate your brain." -Katie Jones DePalma

In third grade, I thought Ms. Renfrow [now Mrs. Ables] hung the moon. She made school wonderful for me, and she made my especially difficult life a little more bearable. Even after I moved up a few grades, she still always made time to visit with me at school. After my sixth grade year, she left and went to teach at a different school and I went on to middle school, so we lost touch. Fast forward six big years - I say big because a LOT happened during those years [I basically grew up, while she was getting married and having three children] - I ran into her at Jerry's Sno Cones recently and got caught up. She might have been 25 when I was 8, but I will never stop believing that our bond was stronger than in a typical teacher-student relationship.

us at Jerry's, July 2010

Middle school was really hard for me. Another teacher came along and befriended me - Ms. McClanahan. She was my English teacher, but she made me want to do my best in everything, both in and outside of school. I hung out in her room after school every day until she left, just talking to her about whatever was going on with the two of us. For a few years, I would go back and visit before school started and spend a day or two helping her get her room decorated and ready to go. We shared so many special moments.

Ms. McClanahan on vacation in 2009

After finishing eighth grade, I had my first Tennessee Young Writers' Workshop [TYWW] summer experience, where I had the absolute honor of becoming friends with Katie Jones [now DePalma]. I feel like Katie and I had that kind of instant bond that just happens. She is an incredible person. There's no one I'd rather hug. We keep up with each other on facebook, but to be honest, we don't talk as much as I wish we did. But this is the 21st century - our schedules are insanely busy, and that's okay. We talk when we need to, and when we do, we pick up where we left off.

Katie and I, July 2008

still July 2008, but this time we're in our more natural states

Out of nowhere, my two adoptive moms came into my life, and I am so glad. They might be my mothers, but we are most definitely friends. I would rather talk to them than anyone else. It's like we have a real-life Gilmore Girls thing going on, except now there are two Lorelais... which is AWESOME.

Mom and Mama, 2010

Dana is like a sister to me. I had the same kind of instant bond with her that I had with Katie. We are the weirdos that look at each other and wink at the same exact time. I call her Damien and say she's almost too gay to function [Mean Girls reference, anyone?]. She calls me by my middle name and tells me I'm pretty. Her being older than me has never stopped us from being friends. But really, she's more like a soul sister to me.

blurry picture of Dana and I from July, 2010

Dana, August 2010

***I only used people who are currently living in my post. For instance, my big sister [best friend] was left out because she is no longer living. I don't know why - I guess maybe I just wanted this to be a lighter, non-depressing blog. Also, if you weren't mentioned, it doesn't mean you haven't changed my life or that I don't love you. That's not the case at all. Everyone I meet changes my life in some way. These are just the people who have "redecorated my brain" as Katie would put it. :)