Dad & Had

I've always thought of myself as a daddy's girl. Maybe it's because I look like him, sweat like him, and have small eyes like him, or it could be because I inherited his sense of humor. There's just something about the bond between a father and a daughter. Growing up I idolized my dad: I looked forward to him coming home every night, dancing on his feet to oldies song, our semi-annual shopping trips at the mall, and special Dad and Had time.

It's hard when you're growing up to think of your parents as people - you just simply think of them as your parents. As I've grown and gotten to know both of my parents as adults I have realized what incredible people they are, and I'm so fortunate to not only know my dad as a person, but to call him one of my best friends. Often times he is the first person I call for advice or to share news with. His thoughts are usually pretty rational and his advice, spot on.

He's always been there to tell me I'm beautiful -even when I didn't think I was- encourage me to follow my dreams, congratulate me on my successes, help me learn from my failures, and to mend my broken heart. His drive and passion for life are inspiring, his selflessness -humbling-, and his sense of humor and smile are contagious. Everyday I'm thankful for him and our relationship, and proud to call him my dad.

IT'S POSSIBLE, FOR A PLAIN YELLOW PUMPKIN TO BECOME A GOLDEN CARRIAGE.
IT'S POSSIBLE, FOR A PLAIN COUNTRY BUMPKIN AND A PRINCE TO JOIN IN MARRIAGE.
AND FOUR WHITE MICE ARE EASILY TURNED TO HORSES.
SUCH FOLDEROL AND FIDDLE-DEE-DEE OF COURSE IS.......
QUITE POSSIBLE. IT'S POSSIBLE.
SO THE WORLD IS FULL OF ZANIES AND FOOLS,
WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN SENSIBLE RULES,
AND WHO WON'T BELIEVE WHAT SENSIBLE PEOPLE SAY.
AND BECAUSE THESE DAFT AND DEWY-EYED DOPES
KEEP BUILDING UP IMPOSSIBLE HOPES,
IMPOSSIBLE......THINGS ARE HAPPENING EVERY DAY.
IT'S POSSIBLE.

Just like mom

I never understood why she did a lot of the things that she did; now i find myself doing the exact same things. "Why are you cleaning for Granny and Granddady to come visit, they're your parents they don't care what thehouse looks like" i would say to her. Whenever my parents come to visit the week leading up to their arrival i'm vacuuming the apartment, doing laundry, scrubbing toilets- just like my mom did. When i would pull out my lunch at school that my mom had made i was horrified to find the Kroger brand pudding, or Kroger brand pretzels in my lunch box. "Why do you have to buy the generic brands" i would ask my mom, everyone else has name brands {yes, at this stage in my life i was kind of a bitch} Every Monday - Friday that i pack my lunch at work most items are Harris Teeter brand just likewhen my mom would pack my lunch.

When i was younger i would try to hide certain things from my mom, or avoid answering questions when she would ask. Now that i am older i can't wait to tell my mom things; often times calling her late at night or early in the morning because i have things that i want to share with her. My mom is one of my best friends. Someone i know that i can tell anything, and not be judged for what i say. She listens with a mothers heart.

My mom has always been there, something that i tended to take for granted growing up, because the last thing that a teenage girl wants is for her mother to be around all the time. Now, that i'm an "adult" i urn for quality time with my mom because it is few and far between.

It was not until i got older that i saw my mom as a person, and not just "mom" she's stronger than she gives herself credit for, wiser than i ever gave her credit for, has such a pure heart, and to have put up with my brother and me for all of those years the patience of a saint. I can only hope that one day i will be just like my mom.

CoWorkers

Dictionary.com defines a coworker as: a fellow worker; colleague. Over the past almost three years, I have formed a completely different definition of the word, coworker. Infact, I hate using the word coworker because of what it implies, simply someone whom you work with.

For me, the people that I work with are more like family. I spend more time with them than my own blood family, roommates, or friends. Some might say that we're an unlikely group, but we fit together like a puzzle. Sarah, Sarah, Nikki, Carrie, & I compliment each other. We all have our own qualities and attributes that others don't, but enough similarities that brought us together and keep us laughing day after day. Because of them I push myself to try new things, to be more open-minded, and over all just a better person.

Most people try to keep their distance at work, not divulging too much personal information, but not us. I love the fact that I know I have these girls to confide in, get advice from, laugh with, and eat lunch with every day. What's most important though is I know on any given day I have someone here who has my back, and cares about me outside of the professional environment.

As time moves on, and so do our careers I know the bond that we've created can't be broken. So dictionary.com I suggest you revisit that definition of a coworker.

Houston, we have a problem... here comes Hadley!

The Girl Scout National Council Session is like the Super Bowl of Girl Scouting. Every Council across the Country sends representatives who descend on a city, this year it's Houston. For four days there will be booths, speeches, celebrations, sessions, and of course the kick- off to our anniversary year, and I will be right in the thick of it!

"I have already been communicating with several councils; they'd be able to put a pretty face to my name. I have wanted to participate in a National Council Session since I heard about the Indiana session that was in progress when I began work here in 2008. I promise to arrive with a smile on my face and ready to work." An expert from my essay on why I think I should be selected to go to convention. It worked, because Houston here I come!

HRH

I didn't do it for a family member, friend, coworker, or for work. I did it for me. I was told by a friend that I have a fighting heart, just like a lion. I joked with my roommates that when I got the flu that the "mighty lion had fallen", but thankfully this mighty lion ultimately came out victorious.

13.1 miles was so much more than the 2 hours 17 minutes and 42 seconds that it took for me to cross that finish line. It's been 25 years in the making. When I thought I couldn't do it, I could hear my parents voices in my head telling me how proud they were of me, or my friends voices telling me keep on moving Bubba. I had fuel from homemade pasta the night before, and comfort in knowing that three of my friends were running as well. Not once did I walk and not once did I stop.

Pink and black, that was my color scheme for the race, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to most. Unfortunately, that was the color choice for most of the other girls who ran the race as well. Runners were to report to the starting line at 6:15 to get in their respective "corrals" at 6:55 I was still in my car fighting through traffic to find somewhere to park, praying to God that I would not miss the start of the race, taking off layers of clothing and pinning my bib to my shirt. At 7:02 the first tears streamed down my face as I still sat in my car. I can't miss this race, I've trained too hard for this, and not to mention four of my best friends were en route to cheer me on as a crossed the finish line. I made the decision then and there that I would park my car, illegally and take the fine or imminent car tow, to complete the race.

I put my iPod on and ran the mile + to the stadium armory, full bladder and all, determined to run this race. Twenty-six minutes after the initial gun was shot, I began my journey to 13.1 miles.

I did the YMCA with Howard University students, high-fived complete strangers, grabbed water from enthusiastic volunteers, and "ran through history" But on Saturday, March 26, 2011 I made my own history. HRH- Hadley the Runner Hines