One of my favorite philosophies of life was stated in a quote by Yoganonda---It states; "You must not let your life run in the ordinary way.  Do something that no one else has done; something that will dazzle the world. Show that God's creative principle works in you."

Growing up as an only child, I lived in a 3 generational family sharing moments of joy, grief in the complications of war, economic adversity and disappointment.  This was an accepted norm of life.

I found myself in a caregiving role with mother and grandparents. Excellence in sports and academics were my escape at that time.   Church services every Sunday created my foundation about religion and spirituality.  Many times, I fell asleep in the pews of the church but that was also a normal expectation of the times for me.

In my fantasies, I would dream about stage performances, being a concert pianist, and creating activities for  entertaining my active imagination.    

However, as luck would have it, my caregiving responsibilities  continued throughout my lifetime with my aging grandparents, mother, husband and 3 children as well as fulfilling my teaching degree.  It seemed I never had time to stop and smell the roses---just for me.   However, after my husband's bout with a 12 year illness of Cancer and diabetes ended, I created a workbook  designed to nurture and support the broad  category of Caregivers.  

This is only the tip of the iceberg.  My life's experiences have all been stepping stones to a greater self awareness of my creative choices.