Why Perseverance

     This word means a lot to me.  It is one of the "life skills" we teach in TKD.  I never realized how much it is a part of my character until this past year.  I persevered in my training to get to my 2nd degree black belt, to earn my certified trainee collar, become a state champ in forms, weapons, sparring, and XMA weapons, compete in the top ten my first year as a black belt, and continued my training for awhile basically on my own as some things were going on during spring of '07.  

     THEN perseverance saved my life and continues to do so.  After World Championship last year, it was discovered that my lungs & liver were dying due to vasculitis.  I also have a brain tumor.  July 20th, 2007 my life changed in an instant.  Things became clearer, found out who were the "real" people in my life, and what was most important.  As I continue through my chemo & steroid treatments to put my vasculitis into remission, sometimes perseverance is all I can hang onto.  Plus, I know it will get me through my brain surgery with flying colors! 

     It was ironic - yesterday at a reception they had for us at work who were not returning next year, our principal spoke about each one of us.  He said he thought of a word that came to mind when he thought of us.  The word he said reminded him of me was PERSEVERANCE!  He said I had an inner strength that was pretty amazing and that I would persevere through everything.  

So as I thought of what to name my site, I chose perseverance since it is so much a part of me!