The Best Person I Can Be is Me!

The Best Person I Can Be is Me!

The best person I can be, and the only person I need to be, is me. Yesterday I was doubting myself as I sent another email to people asking that they attend a meeting about the state budget and its impact on our kids and community. I wondered if people really wanted to hear from me or was I becoming an email to be deleted? Was I the new Chicken Little, buzzing about interrupting folks during their busy day? I wondered if people would begin to see email’s from me and not open them because they knew I had something to ask? With my confidence shaky, I took a deep breath, and told myself “do it anyway” and I hit the send button, no turning back now.

Within minutes I got my first response and I was reminded that courage is not the absence of fear, it’s the ability to act when you are fearful. Sometimes it can be frightening to just be yourself and I forget that's all we were ever expected to be. So thank you to the two wonderful people who were loving enough to encourage me, when you had no idea that I needed it. Here’s what they said:

One mom wrote back this note:

Yes. I saw this too last week. Of course I just cried but you are actually doing something!!! How great. I think I will try to come too but I'll have my littlest guy with me.

A past therapist of Nicky’s wrote back:
Hey Donna, just going over your email and reading some of your blog, i know you heard this before, but i just want you to know how exceptional you are, you are truly an inspiration, while reading your log i couldn't help feeling sad and very hopeful at the same time, my life is no where as interesting as yours but at times it seems unbearable, people like you make life seems worthwhile, you are truly one of gods servants, thank you for sharing so much of your life with me, and pleaseeeeeeeeee, never change you! I love you guys always


HERE'S THE EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT WHICH THE TWO LADIES ABOVE RESPONDED TO
I’m feeling a little like “Chicken Little” running around screaming “The Budget is Coming the Budget is Coming”. LOL.
Wanna come? I am going to be taking Nicky with me on Monday afternoon to attend the mandatory DDS "community" meeting about how, not if or when the budget cuts can best be applied *permanently* to Regional Center YIKES!!!!!
I'm going because I'm not oozing confidence that the state will do what it takes to insure that the Regional Centers are here to care for Nicky, when the day comes that I can't. So, I'm thinking why not use this fiscal disaster as an opportunity to improve our system of care not just doing “business as usual” with less.
Seems to me President Obama's plan for the federal budget, a thorough review of all costs, could work here. Why not ask the state to hire a Legislative Analysis (not a DDS employee) to look at the system, from to p to bottom, and make recommendations to eliminate the waste, improve efficiency and not harm the families who rely on the system.
Feel free to spread the word to folks you think might be interested and Let me know if you're going :)
Donna
Here is the official statement that got me started!
The Governor's Budget, issued on January 9, 2009, anticipates a significant funding reduction. Over the next few months, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), working with stakeholders, will develop proposals to achieve targeted savings while maintaining the entitlement and ensuring program and service integrity.
The purpose of the forum is to receive input from consumers, family members, service providers and other stakeholders on possible cost containment strategies, including but not limited to those identified in the Controll ing Regional Center Costs Report.