Tuesday, April 26, 2016

I AM

Lots has happened and some things have changed since my last post.  I recently changed the name of my blog to A Boogie Down Chick's World.  I felt the change was needed and that the name fit better than the Diary of a Loving Mom.  I am a Loving Mom, but it really wasn't a diary, and I am so much more than just a mom.  Although being a mom is something I take the most pride in.  But I am a daughter, sister, wife, mom, advocate and the list goes on.  I am born and raised in the Bronx, and I am a true Chick from the Boogie Down Bronx!  Hence the name A Boogie Down Chick's World.

So much has been going on in my life, and it has made me take a step back and examine my life so far.  For example, my mom got really sick this past summer and I almost lost her, had we not gotten her to the hospital in time.  Being a daughter was one of my first roles in life, and one that I cherish.  My mom is amazing and she is a major reason I am the woman I am today.  She will be 80 years old next April and she is has been one of my biggest supporters/caretaker for my son Donovan who has Autism. 

I am the youngest sibling of a very blended family.  I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters.  We may not have the same mother and father, but we are brothers and sisters!  This is another part of my life that I share with the world, or the rather the few that follow.  LOL

I am a wife.  I met my husband back to before I can remember, we were probably in pampers and in carriages side by side one another as our moms were waiting for the elevator to go home.  We grew up in the same building and attended kindergarten together.  It hasn't always been easy and we have had our share of break ups, but our paths always lead us back to one another. 

I am mother.  There was a time when I thought that I would never have this title.  While dating my husband, we were careful, but we were also young and a bit naïve.  We never worried about not getting pregnant, because we didn't want to get pregnant so young.  When we finally married, I was ready to start a family.  After trying we decided to see a specialist.  After a many tries of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination), a couple of miscarriages, it was our last try before we would have to move onto IVF.  I got pregnant with my daughter Devynn.  Devynn was 4 months old when I found out I was pregnant with my second child.  I had Donovan.  Three years after him I was pregnant with my youngest Dustin.  I love being a mother, and it is what I am most proud of. 

I am an advocate.  Most times when one advocates for a cause it is usually because they have been touched or affected in some way.  The first cause to awaken my fire for advocacy and support was HIV/AIDS.  I had and have many family/friends that have passed away and are still living with HIV/AIDS.  I became a peer educator for the Department of Health (which is now the Dept. of Mental Health and Hygiene).  I went into Schools and educated youth on facts of HIV/AIDS and how to practice safer sex.  My second cause and the one that pushes me the most, is Autism.  My son Donovan was diagnosed when he was just about 16 months old, and since then I have educated myself as much as possible and tried to spread so much awareness that we have ACCEPTANCE! Another cause I support whole heartedly is Dyslexia.  My Oldest child begged for us to put her in school and we did.  We enrolled her in Pre-K a year earlier, and she soon began to HATE school.  She struggled and when I pushed to find out why, we learned that she had Dyslexia. 

I am a Social Entrepreneur.  Social entrepreneurship is the attempt to draw upon business techniques and private sector approaches to find solutions to social, cultural or environmental problems. As per Unite for Site, a Social Entrepreneur the Social Entrepreneur aims for value in the form of large-scale, transformational benefit that accrues either to a significant segment of society or to society at large.” is Moreover, the social entrepreneur targets its programs at the “underserved, neglected, or highly disadvantaged population that lacks the financial means or political clout to achieve the transformative benefit on its own.” Social entrepreneurs are builders of a better world.  I have started a nonprofit organization D3 Sports & Recreation Inc. , a program that provides sensory friendly programming and events for children with Autism. 

Though many of my roles are linked and overlap, it was important that I choose a title for my blog that was better suited and would allow my to share all aspects of my life and journey!  So I leave you with this bit, which summarizes my blog. 

A Boogie Down Chick's World
A little insight into the world of a biracial woman, wife, and mom that was born and raised in the good old Boogie Down Bronx!!!! Share in my journey as a special needs mom to an Ausome Autistic Boy and to Sassy Princess with Dyslexia. I can't forget about my youngest who is a handful! Follow as I build a "Village" where our loved ones can come together and be themselves. And where families can allow them to shine without Judgement!