First Days

Hello,

Today, my daughter Myah started her first day of kindergarten. She was all excited with her new pack back, lunch box, and sneakers. They wear uniforms. We met her new teacher and some of the new kids. It was fun for us!

When we left I couldn't help think of my first days of school. The only thing I remember of my first day of kindergarten was that my friend Donna cried and my Mom said to me before she left to take care of Donna. I guess there was something to it because we've been friends for 53 years. Wow!!!!!

My sister and I loved  clothes shopping for the school year. Sometimes we went together and other times just with my Mom. The best memory is that we would do a fashion show of all our new clothes for my dad. He was so attentive and made comments like"That's sharp baby." He was great!

I loved the first day of school until I went to High School. Some of my teachers may not of felt my love of learning but it was there. In Middle School I was a Masquer. A Masquer was someone who participated in the theatre group. It was my life! I looked forward to Masquers not school but I still did well in school.

High School was hard for so many reasons. First was my older siblings and their achievements. My brother was senior class president and my sister had been Homecoming Queen. I have always been proud of my siblings accomplishments but I am not like them. Of course the school expected me to be like them and when I wasn't they left me out to dry! At 16 I had a huge loss. My grandfather passed away from cancer in 1980. Needless to say I was a mess. He was the one person in my life who saw my potential.

I started getting high at 15 and continued. What isn't clear is if my bipolar disorder started at 15 or 16 but I clearly was a mess. Did lots of drugs during this period of my life. I didn't realize I was self medicating my illness. Life was hard from age 15 to 40.  I knew something was wrong with me but didn't know what?  Thank God I moved to New York and was able to find myself which led me to my diagnosis.  It definitely hasn't been easy but I have found a way to recovery.

When I went back to college in the Fall of 2002. I couldn't believe I had actually made my dream come true! On my first day of grad school I met my husband!

Love and Peace

Chao
Gina