Lightning. Lightning Ntzoke Marie. Aged 21 years, our oldest daughter.
She has lived away from home for 2 years, but she is very happy. She is happily married, and she has three beautiful children: Derick William (the baby), LeAndre' Reaux (the middle child and the oldest boy), and Jameishia Nichelle (the only girl, and the oldest of our grandchildren). Her husband, Darnell, is a lawyer, and he is very good to his wife and kids.
They live in Colorado, near Fort Collins. They live in the town of Loveland.
Lightning came to us at the age of 14, a scared, shy child suffering from the ravages of cerebral palsy. Because of her disability, she is noticeably spastic in her limbs, and she walks with the aid of forearm crutches (although lately she's preferred her wheelchair; but she WILL use her crutches for shorter trips). She also has a noticeable speech impediment, and she tends to drool at times; but she is still a beautiful young woman with wild, frizzy black hair, big, brown eyes, and skin the color of warm tea with milk. She is rather short in stature, and she is noticeably pudgy in build. She was born in Africa, in Kenya, and she came to the United States when she was 12, where she spent two years in foster care; but then she found a home with our family at 14 years of age.
She's been with us ever since, and she is our oldest adopted child.
Lightning has had several operations before she came to us, and when she was 12/13 she took her first steps, albeit with crutches. She's been walking practically nonstop ever since, but since she is spastic, she tends to fall at times. But her spirit remains strong, and she has such a humorous, upbeat outlook in life. In addition, she has epilepsy and has seizures from time to time, but medication takes care of the majority of the seizures.
When Lightning married (at the age of 18), of course, we cried, especially when she told us she was moving to Colorado. She was our oldest baby, and it seemed much too soon when she was leaving us behind; but it was a wise decision in the end because she found a man who loved her despite her disability, and he has been so good for her and her children. Her children are all sweet, loving children who are growing so fast before my eyes.
Lightning may have had her challenges in life, but she has met each one with determination and skill, and there is nothing she won't do. She is a good and loving mother to her kids, and she loves to laugh and sing. She is an inspiration to all who meet her, and we are so proud of what she has accomplished in her young life.
The familiar lament of dual-career parents raising children is, "I just can't do it all." The Libra Solution provides an alternative - a more satisfying and sustainable work and life approach - to the overwrought modern day norm.
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
