Happy Friday! We’ve had a few days of sunshine in CT and I am not complaining. Technically we have 22 days until the start of spring but who’s counting 😉 I will be glad to celebrate 35 degrees and sunny over 20 degrees and snowy right now. I apologize I didn’t do last weeks Q&A xx
1. Where do you get your strength from?
I am always asked about where I get my strength from, where do you find it, how do you find it? My answer is God gives me strength. I was always taught you never know how strong you are until strong is the only choice you have. I have leaned on that and reminded myself of that.
2. What’s the best piece of advice someone gave you?
This is a loaded question because a lot of people from all different walks of life have given me advice through the years. The piece of advice that has stayed with me through all of these years was my GB’s quote “Play to better your hand.” You’re probably thinking ok thats easy when you’re playing a card game. I do not mean the card game I mean in life. In life we are dealt situations that we didn’t create or want, think about playing cards and your dealt the worst cards and you think your not going to win but as the game moves you get to throw your “bad” cards away, in life we make choices and decisions and sometimes it ends up being the best ones.
3. Did you ever think you would be this strong?
No I never thought at almost 20 this would be the life I have or walked, however life is not easy and its not all rainbows and sunflowers, there is rain storm and hail, however you got to get through the mud to get to the sunflowers. God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. From being at Boston Children’s Hospital at 3 years old dealing with surgeries gave me empathy, too volunteering at a veterans home and seeing them have no one to visit. Life is what you make and you never know what someone else may be going through.
4. What is one piece of advice you would give your 15 year old self?
If I had to go back in time and tell my 15 year old self what I know now would be you can do it and everything will be ok. There was a time of self doubt just like most of us do, I was dealing with a lot. I would tell my self then would be YOU CAN DO IT, NOTHING WILL STOP YOU! Sometimes the challenges make you a stronger person.
5. What humbles you the most?
Every time I go to Boston Children’s Hospital and I see what these kids and families go through day in and day out! Every time I walk out those doors I thank my lucky stars and God that I am not living in the hospital I am able to go to college, go to the gym, I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT and these kids can’t. These kids and their families do everything they do with a smile on their face and I am reminded of that day in and day out. Hearing their stories remind me that these kids would do anything to walk in my shoes.
6. If you could relive one moment what would it be?
One moment I would relive hands down would be Tuesday nights at 7pm eating McDonald’s back in the day when they had the caramel sauce with their apples ( I was never allowed to have fast food except this night) and my Poppy and I would watch Dukes of Hazard and I had the biggest crush on Bo! Life was so simple back then and I occasionally will watch the re-runs but its not the same because that was our thing we did together! It was our little “date night” and we would have ice cream and I would fall asleep on his chair curled up next to him. This lasted about 4 years or so give or take this will always be one of my fondest memories with him and I will cherish it forever! I love you Poppy I miss you and this one is for you!!! If you watched the Dukes of Hazard let me know if you were a Bo or Luke fan.
“Just two good ol’ boys, Never meaning no harm Beats all you never saw, Been in trouble with the law Since the day they were born” – Dukes of Hazard theme song beginning
7. What is something your grateful for?
There is a lot for me to be grateful for starting with my family, my health and being able to go to college! I never take a day, a moment, a person anything for granted 2020 taught me that! I am extremely grateful for my: Mom, Memere, Grandpa Bob, and Poppy along with my cousins but I will always be grateful for those four because I wouldn’t have made it through the hardest times with out them. They have been there since Day 1. I will say this never take your loved ones or anybody you love blood or not for granted!
8. What is one goal you have?
If you know me you know I am very much about being goal orientated! I have a lot of goals I mean a lot, pages of goals! One goal that I have that I really want to accomplish is moving to Maine the summer of 2024 (the year I graduate from college) I am the type of person when I say I am gonna do something I will do it, go through hell and high water to do it but I will do it! This is something I really want!
9. Who is someone you look up too ?
I look up to a lot of people, famous or not I have a list but I will give you someone who is famous and someone who is not! A person I look up to that is famous is The Rock I look up to him because of how he started with his company 7bucks because he only had 7 dollars to his name. I look up to my mentor ( you will hear about him soon) I look up to him in soo many ways from starting his own business, moving from Boston to Vermont and then Tennessee he is someone I admire and that I would love to take a page out of his book! He is someone that every person could benefit to having him around!
10. What is the saying you write on your hand, every time I see you there is something on your hand?
I will only write 2 things on my hand 1. Being ALWAYS MORE from Ephesians 3:20, 2. Being It will be ok, you got this. I will write this on my hand when its one of “those days”. I will write ALWAYS MORE when I go to the gym, or if I need a little motivation 9/10 times it will be written with sharpie (so it doesn’t come off) I am someone who believes when its written down or in a tangible format you will believe it! Always More has turned into my “thing” its the only bible verse that I connect with and I know it verbatim! If you see me 9/10 times it will be on my left hand!
Gracefullygrace 