I am a recovering alcoholic/addict (sobriety date Jan 26th of 2009), former teacher, former school guidance counselor, formerly chronically ill for 3+ years, PTSD suffering, cursing, mother to a toddler. Simple, right?
I am so many things. I taught English for a 1/3 of my life. I am a school guidance counselor with a Master’s. I nearly died in childbirth. I previously published a book with a small press. I suffered from a rare medical illness that led to me having half of my pancreas removed. I am a survivor of sexual abuse. I am a stay-at-home Mom. I have suffered since childhood with major clinical depression and generalized anxiety. I am a wife of 3 years this week. I am all of these things and yet they don’t really encompass who I am.
I graduated from Michigan State with my Bachelor’s from the College of Arts and Letters. My Master’s is in school guidance counseling (MaEd) and I did my practicum at Mesa Community College directly under their head counselor. I have taught a plethora of subjects all under the umbrella of English at the middle and high school level with the exception of the counseling courses I taught at MCC.
In the last 3 years I have gone through major and rare medical trauma which has left me, shall we say, a little bit hesitant. So here I am finding myself again. This is the third time. I found myself for a 2nd time when I got sober in 2009 and I am finding myself again now in 2018 post- surgeries.