Ronee' and Johnny are celebrating. It is their "half birthday" tomorrow, and their family is throwing them a half birthday party. Ronee' writes and reflects on her life and how far she has come in her journey.
Saturday, June 25, 2005~
*Sighhhhhhhhhhhhh*...it doesn't seem at all possible, but tomorrow we will be exactly six months shy of our 13th birthday. We ("we" meaning Johnny and myself) will become teenagers, and as I look on this, I am filled with a combination of sadness and dread. I have always heard that the teenaged years are full of "angst", and that the teen years are very difficult for both the parent and the child. I also have to worry about things like boys wanting to date me, pimples, unexplained emotional upheavals, and learning to DRIVE. We also have to think about where we want to go to college or what we want to do for the rest of our lives, and whether we are going to get married or not or start a family.
Such major things to think about that I never gave a moment's notice to while I was but a kid....now that I think about this, I am terrified beyond belief because I don't know what the future holds, and I don't know what God has in store for us!
Tomorrow, our family is throwing a half birthday celebration, and of course, the cake (and tears) will be flowing, and we will be given gifts from our family. The attention IS nice, but I am one who really doesn't like to be spoiled, and now that I am growing older, I find all the excess attention embarrassing and unnecessary! I don't know what they have in store for us, but I do know that we will probably get some surprise gifts that we didn't expect, and we will probably get to do something totally unexpected and off the wall! Last year, we had a party, but it was cut short when I got stung by a bee and had to go to the hospital. THAT was no fun, but while the party was going on, I did have a great time! I spent half of my "half birthday" in the ER and then later in the pediatric ward, but I got out in a few days, and I now had a mark on my arm from the bee (and a pretty case of the hives) to mark my "half birthday". So even a BEE left me a "present". (Gee, THANKS, Mr. Bee...SOME half birthday present...NOT one I'd recommend giving to your friends! SHEESH!)
My life so far has been full of memories that I will treasure forever...my coming into the family that I have today and officially becoming a "Sandusky" at the age of four, performing at many exciting festivals and fairs as a singer, the arrival of new brothers and sisters into the family and getting to know them, the addition of cousins to our family, the marriages of friends and family, seeing older sisters graduate from high school or college, recovering from serious sicknesses (or surgeries) and proving the doctors wrong, the impact of September 11, 2001, and even as horrible as that day was, it brought us closer as a family (and it brought our nation closer as a whole), the discovery of my "giftedness" and writing my first book and seeing my name in print, meeting people from all over and meeting people from all walks of life, learning to live life to the fullest despite having a physical disability that tests my daily resolve, the day when I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and found a church family that loves me for ME, and so much more, things that are too numerous to mention! I may only be 12 1/2, but as you can see, I have had a very rich and rewarding life, and I think it is because of these "life experiences" that I have grown into a far stronger person than I can have ever imagined!
Now I am staring down the barrel of teenagerhood, and while I AM scared, I am also looking forward to it because who knows what God has in store for me down the pike? It is exciting to think about, and I wonder what exciting things will happen...will I live long enough to see a cure for deadly diseases like AIDS, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or JRA? Will I ever be able to walk without the aid of crutches or braces? Will I ever be able to get rid of my asthma or my allergies completely? Will I have a boyfriend, and will I learn to drive? Will I go to college or further persue my music career? Will I get married and have children of my own (or adopt, just as my parents did)? Will I see my parents through incredible illness or things that come along with getting older? Will I bury my parents (or a brother or sister, perhaps??)? Will I see terrorism or war come to an end and see peace come to our battered world? Will I live long enough to see the Second Coming of Christ? The possibilities are endless, and I just wonder what is going to happen in my life as I grow older.
I just hope that whatever God has in store for me that my future is full of hope and promise, and I hope that I can live long enough to do things like go to college or have a family of my very own, and I hope that I can see a cure for diseases that threaten to decimate the world's population or see my brother Johnny rise from his wheelchair, never to use it again, as a cure for muscular dystrophy has finally been found after years and years of research! That would be too wonderful to think about!
~Written on Saturday, June 25, 2005, by Ronee' Le-Anne Reaux, now aged 12 1/2! :)
P.S.: One more thing~The reason we are having a "half birthday" celebration instead of a regular ol' birthday celebration is coz Johnny's and my birthdays are so close together, and besides, our birthdays fall on the day AFTER Christmas and ON Christmas Day respectively, and too often, our birthdays are lost in the hustle-bustle that is the Christmas season. So there you go. We get to celebrate our birthdays TWICE a year, which is kinda' neat!
<Now I am staring down the barrel of teenagerhood, and while I AM scared, I am also looking forward to it because who knows what God has in store for me down the pike? It is exciting to think about, and I wonder what exciting things will happen...will I live long enough to see a cure for deadly diseases like AIDS, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or JRA? Will I ever be able to walk without the aid of crutches or braces? Will I ever be able to get rid of my asthma or my allergies completely? Will I have a boyfriend, and will I learn to drive? Will I go to college or further persue my music career? Will I get married and have children of my own (or adopt, just as my parents did)? Will I see my parents through incredible illness or things that come along with getting older? Will I bury my parents (or a brother or sister, perhaps??)? Will I see terrorism or war come to an end and see peace come to our battered world? Will I live long enough to see the Second Coming of Christ? The possibilities are endless, and I just wonder what is going to happen in my life as I grow older.>
Karen this is one of your best! How well you project the feelings of Ronee and her fears of teen-age, and beyond. You are well-informed, and have great compassion. where do you get the art, this one is perfect for Ronee! Great work all around! Happy Birthday, and many more to come!;-)
Love,
Eileen
The multiple award winning, 5 Star story of a baby penguin who searches the world to find the woman that saved his life. A wonderful novel with a Christmas feel. Loved by all 4 - 94. Novel or E-book
Children love to sink their teeth into sweet and delicious fruit. This story and teaching will have them sinking their hearts into the Fruit of the Spirit.
Saturday, June 25, 2005~
