November 17, 2007~

Dear Journal~

Johnny here.

I am writing to let you know just how thankful I am. I am thankful for a lot of things; a lot of people don't have it nearly as good as I do.

I am thankful for living yet another day. I know this may sound funny, but I have Duchenne's muscular dystrophy; I am dying, yet God has allowed me to live as long as I have by being faithful to Him, trusting in him during those dark days when my illness rears its ugly head.

Any day I wake up breathing or above ground is cause enough for me to praise God for the blessings He's given to me.

I am thankful for my family. My mom and dad, my brothers and sisters, my many cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my niece and nephews. I have a very big family that's only going to get larger: we are adopting Vincente, the foster kid who's been staying with us for the past few months, and mama's fixin' to have twins around Christmas. So there will soon be 63 kids in our family! WOW!!

I am thankful for doing better in school. Ever since going to the Sylvan classes several times a week, my grades have skyrocketed, and shcool is a lot more easier for me.

I am thankful for my friends, particularly Jose', Spike, Tommy, and Omar. They treat me good, and they don't mind that I am in a wheelchair or have a severe illness that's only going to end up in my death; they treat me like any other kid, and I appreciate that; I really do!

I am thankful for my sister, Ronee'. She and I may fight on occasion (what sister or brother doesn't??), but she and I have gotten a lot closer--and we have always been that way. Close. We would die for each other, that's how strong our bond is. Ronee' has been through a lot of things herself, but when I am hurting or sad, she will go out of her way to make me laugh (she usually succeeds; she's a showstopper).

I am thankful for my teachers, and I am thankful for my pastor at my church. I am thankful for my doctors, Dr. Ram, Dr. Stryker, Dr. Emmons, Dr. Arjuwal. They have gotten me through some of the worst times in my life, and if it weren't for their caring, generous, compassionate spirit or the knowledge that God gave to them, I wouldn't even BE here now, writing this down!

I am thankful that we live in America. So many other nations are at war, and it is a scary time; yet God has blessed me by letting me come to America when I was a baby and having the family that I do today. Yes, America has problems, many problems, but I wouldn't live anywhere else; I love America too much!

Yes, I am thankful for many things. I am indeed a lucky kid. I have it so much better than most, and I can thank my God for all the blessings He's given to me.

On that note, let me wish each and every one of my friends and everyone out there in Cyberspace the most happiest of Thanksgivings EVER!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

~Love, your pal, Johnny. :D