I started the process in the elevator
on the way to the delivery room!
(I still hate being late for anything!)
I chose to arrive;
backwards
folded in half
doing the splits
not breathing
My mother attributed our health and safety
to the help of one very determined nurse.
She was also relieved to see that our doctor
arrived just in time
to help me take my first breath.
The entire production,
from my parents' arrival at the hospital
to my arrival in the delivery room,
took twenty minutes.
(I still love to make
dramatic entrances!)
My Mother
Lori And Her Mother In Handmade Outfits
Circa 1970
Throughout my childhood,
my mother often accused me of being a dreamer,
as if it was a bad thing.
She felt that being a dreamer was unrealistic
whereas I felt that only a pessimist
would see things that way.
Now that I'm much older,
I see that she was not a pessimist.
She was a realist.
I could always count on her to keep me grounded
when my dreams took me too far off into
"la-la land".
I'll probably never stop dreaming!
To me, being a dreamer doesn't mean
being childish or irresponsible.
It simply means that I have a carefree,
glass-half-full attitude.
Incurable Optimism
Don't get me wrong.
Being an incurable optimist
doesn't mean that I spend my days
flitting about
telling everyone that everything is fine.
It also doesn't mean that I believe
merely staying positive will solve everything.
But working hard
to maintain a positive attitude, whenever possible,
helps me get through the rough stuff.
(A great sense of humour doesn't hurt either!)
Humble Beginnings
Lori With Her Brothers - Circa 1968
I grew up somewhat sheltered.
With limited knowledge
of worldly affairs and other cultures,
some might say I grew up naïve.
While that might be true,
I still believe that most humans
have pure hearts and good intentions.
I feel that life is all about
learning, experiencing, and growing.
So, I strive to learn more
about the world around me
and I hope to contribute
to making the world a better place,
even if only in some small way.
My mission is to simply live my best life.
I want to do my best,
be my authentic self,
and treat others with respect
as I want them to treat me.
