Tomorrow is a New Chance

Tomorrow is a really exciting day.  It is the first day of my online school.  My mother applied to the school.  We were not sure if the school would let me enroll because I have never been in a normal classroom.  I have always been in a special education classroom.

Having to prove that I am smart has been frustrating.  For a long time I wanted to be able to just be known as understanding what people said.  Now I want to learn and be challenged.

I am so excited about starting my classes.  I am nervous, too.  I am worried about getting my assignments completed on time because I am slow at typing.  Knowing that my mom will help me stay organized is a big help.  Lots of hours of work have gone in to this moment.

Over the summer I had to take tests at an office of an educational diagnostician.  I had to show that I can learn.  I felt so much pressure. I so wanted to do well but it was so scary to be typing in front of someone I did not know.  I think I did OK but I could have done better.  Part of me wishes I had done better but my mom says the report helped me get into the online school.

Tomorrow is a symbol of how someone should not give up. I am so hopeful for my future.

Olivia, My Sister

Olivia is my sister.  Having a friend who is also your sibling is truly wonderful. 

Olivia is normal.  Perhaps normal is not the best way to really describe her, but dramatic begins to paint a picture.  

I love nobody the way I love Olivia, verifiably and so beautifully.  Olivia is two years and two weeks younger than I am, and I remember when she played with me when we were little toddlers. She would chase me around our house and say my name repeatedly which made me laugh. Little legs would scamper around the halls really quickly.  Somehow she never became tired of chasing after me.

Olivia is going back to school, and I am feeling sad.  Having her home for the summer is really great. We have been reading books together, sitting close to each other. I like spending the mornings reading stories about people and the challenges they face.  I am happy that we like the same kind of stories.

I know she has had to do a lot of things for herself.  I have always had to have a lot of help from my parents and so she has had to be independent.  Lots of times she has played the role of older sibling.  I am lucky to have her for a sister. 

Olivia brings so much music and laughter into my life.  Theater is her favorite thing and so she is always singing.  The songs may be loud but I can't imagine life without getting to hear her sing. 

Olivia is the most important person in my life because she understands me in ways other kids don't. Olivia is the very best sister.  I just cannot say in words how much Olivia means to me.