Friday, February 6, 2009

she asked...

I usually ask a question on Fridays (Aloha Friday) but today I'm answering a few. A week or so ago, Susan from Penless Writer extended the invitation to interview anyone who wished to be interviewed. Here are her questions and my answers:

1. What is your greatest accomplishment so far in your life? I would have to say my children. They are good kids but they're not perfect. They give us joy and grief and in both cases, I am very proud of them and see them as my greatest accomplishment. In my humble opinion, giving life and nurturing that life should be seen as every parent's greatest accomplishment.

2. What one thing do you still desire to accomplish? I'd like to accomplish greater health and physical ability. I'd like to be able to manage my Diabetes through diet and exercise. I'd like to be physically fit so I can enjoy every aspect of life as I grow older.

3. Who, or what, has had the greatest impact on your life? I'm going to have to give a few answers for this one.

My parents divorce when I was a pre-teen impacted me in a way that I could ask the question, "what would my life have looked like if they had stayed together?" I went to live with my mom, stayed in California, met Don, married, etc.

My mother's attempted suicide had a tremendous emotional impact on me, then as a teenager and now as an adult. But more in a positive way. I was able to hear what she was going through at the time and understand what emotional turmoil does to a person. I also could use this experience not only in my own life, buy to help teens (back then and now) understand that suicide is not the answer and that God has given each of us a life worth living. My mom is a beautiful example of this. She has had so many blessings, and blessed so many others, in the years since that day when she thought ending her life was the only answer.

And the third thing that has impacted me most is working with teenagers. They have opened my eyes and my heart to a different world, one not seen my most adults. One major impact is that it helped me understand and relate to my own children better. But it goes beyond this. They have allowed me to walk along side of them during times of hardship and of joy. They have accepted me, appreciated me, and loved me. The impact on me is immeasurable and I can't imagine what my life would have looked like had I not got involved in youth ministry.

4. If money were no object what would you do? I would like to own a camp or retreat center, ideally in the mountains somewhere. This would give me the opportunity to enjoy my surroundings as well as interact with kids, young adults, or even other adults.

5. If you could change one thing in your past what would it be? I'm not really one that believes in regrets. I believe we learn from every experience we encounter and that we are who we are from our past experiences.

But after saying that, there is one regret I have and so if I could change it, I probably would. That regret is, in high school, being a mean girl at times. I know there was one girl that my friends and I were very mean to and you could even say that we emotionally tortured her. I think of her often and wonder how life for the both of us might have been different if I could have shown kindness to her. Yes, I really do regret how I acted back then.

Thank you Susan for such wonderful questions. This was actually part of a meme in which a commenter could ask to be "interviewed" and I poster would forward on the questions they wanted to ask each person. Instead, I encourage you to think about the questions Susan asked me and post your own answers. Let me know if you do so I can read them.

8 comments:

Jamey said...

Wow,that was great. Those were hard questions and you had some deep answers. I loved it. I never would have thought that you would ever be mean to another person. The teenage years do wierd things to us all I think! I honestly can't think of one person who wouldn't have a regret of something they did as a teenager. Thanks for sharing Diana!!

Susan said...

Thank you so much for letting me interview you and for your deep and well thought out answers. I KNEW they would be. You are a very deep, caring person and it shows!!!!
Susan

kel said...

A girl that was mean to me in school recently contacted me through facebook and apologized. You have no idea how much that meant to me. Maybe you could look her up?

MightyMom said...

that's cool!

my answers to susans questions will come up sometime in the next 4 days so watch for them....they are slightly different questions.

Christine said...

I often think back to my teenage years and think how my life would have changed if I had not done some of the things that I did and if I had made different choices. Believe me, there were a lot of things that should have been changed. In the end of my thinking, one thing that comes to my mind is God's grace and mercy so the question I end up with is where would I be without that? That is the BIG question and the answer to that is what enables us to move forward. Hopefully she knows that too and has long ago forgiven you. Is it possible to find her and talk to her?

Those were hard questions and you answered them honestly and with a lot of thought. Thanks for sharing. You always make me think. That is a good thing.

Just Mom said...

I really enjoyed reading your answers, Diana. I really do love how you let us in to your deepest thoughts. I might have to give this one a try, but give me a little time.

btw ... You? Mean? I don't believe it.

Anonymous said...

Great questions - great answeers, Diana!

I was surprised at your answer about being mean in high school. I know that was only a temporary phase of a teenage life.

Barbara said...

Great to read your inspiring answers Diane.