My journey up "The Hill" as a Raven has been a rough ride.
"Life is like a journey going up a hill in a wheelchair. Sometimes you lose your grip and slide backwards for a while." I did this both physically and some spiritually. Spending 26 days in the hospital fighting for life and 47 days on total bed rest after 6 surgeries. "At other times you need to call on others to give you a little extra push on the especially steep parts of life." I called on my fellow Ravens for emotional support and received more blessing than I can count. "However, if you keep pushing progress will be made." I am getting there in regards to the health with one more surgery to go with six months of recovery. "Sure, at times that progress is a crawl; while at other times, progress is a full out race." Injuring my hand in the famous Benedictine bed races first semester and tackling Fornier's Gangrene this semester
"However once the journey is complete, the fun part begins: "fly"ing down the hill in life."
2013 saw many blessings and a few pains, both emotional and physical.
I saw my journey as a Cardinal take flight and the beginning of my journey earning the wings of a Benedictine Raven. The graduation ceremony for LCC still vividly plays in my mind, partially because it was my first major graduation. I can't wait for my graduation, God-willing, as a Raven. I said good-bye to my home full-time and traded it in for a dorm room in St. Michael (one of my patrons no less) Hall at Benedictine. We saw the efforts of residents pay off in the first Chapel built on campus in many years. Hopefully, given time, it will be the first of many in line. It's great to be around Godly men who like to pray hard and play hard while working hard. These guys are quickly becoming some of the best friends I will have.
My journey has not been a smooth one. Graduation was in question shortly before due to health. Now due to injuries and health, my journey as a Raven is in question. If it is God's will, He will continue to open doors. He has yet to truly disappoint me yet. My thumb has eventually healed itself. My health continues to be a rocky journey but it keeps getting better. Now PT/OT is kicking my butt into shape to get me ready for Surgery 7 of the year. Concussions are always a threat to my brain but you can't earn the title of "Bed Race Crash Test Dummy" easily.
One of the most memorable moments was when Tammy gave me a hug at graduation and Dr. Knox gave me a huge hand shake on Graduation. On the Raven side of things: I will certainly remember Homecoming 2013 and the Benedictine Bed Races. While I was moderately injured, the best moment of the entire race was not the spectacular crash but the awesome finish we accomplished as a team. In the second semester, life was great until the hidden enemy known as fornier's gangrene tried to end my life viciously. I am starting to continue up the hill of life. The progress is painfully slow right now. I am very blessed (refuse to say lucky) to have so many great friends, family, and classmates in my life.
Please keep all law enforcement, military, priests, administrators, and least importantly me in your prayers. That pretty much covers all my family. HAHA
