Song 1 - Into the Mystic
(Van Morrison)
Song 2 - I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack)
Song 3 - Forever
Young (Bob Dylan)
Song 4 - I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton)
I have worn the medal of victory after several triumphs
in physical battle. I dive into adventure and endure all the
unexpected turns. I swing from vines over crocodile infested
pools and I play with venomous predators. I challenge the ghostly
eyes illuminating the forest walls and await the anticipated onslaught. I am a victor not a victim. I am a young woman of courage and
strength and I am determined and thirsty for life. Neither lure
nor treachery has ever or will ever win me as I am armed with power
and bravery. Life is as much my playground as yours and I will
strive my hardest to play as rough and tough as my fellow playmates. I may fall but I will never stay down, as I too am a participant in
the race of man. I am the undaunted protagonist in an adventure
I call Cystic Fibrosis.
To be a warrior in life one must learn
to fight for who they are. I strive everyday to prove who I
am and what I am capable of accomplishing. I want to unveil
the eyes of the blind so they can see that I am just as able-bodied
and willing to live life to its fullest. I know not whether
I gained strength and courage from my daily struggles or whether God
chose me because I already possessed the nature capable of enduring
such emotional and physical affliction. I do know, however,
that in a way I have been blessed. Cystic Fibrosis has helped
give birth to a deeper appreciation for life and all of its gifts. An education is one of the most beautiful gifts that life has to offer
and I want to dive into it and then share what it gives to me with
the rest of the world. I am well aware that my college career
will be filled with dips and bends as it is for most collegiates,
but I welcome these adventures and look forward to them. I aim
to explore myself and in the progress expand myself. The world
is like an eddy effusing with opportunity and bursting with life. I am going to go fishing and I aim to catch myself a whopper. I want to grab hold of all of life’s treasures and take every opportunity
to bask in their glory. I see a side of life that few have or
will ever see. Each day filled with exhaustion, tears, and pain,
is a look into an unexplored galaxy that I feel lucky to have seen.
Even though my school absences are abundant, my education continues
to prosper as I have a fierce hunger for knowledge. I work harder
and devote more time than most students not only because I want to
keep up with the pack, but because I want to be the leader. Some doubt that I will be able to walk in the shoes I hope to fulfill,
but I always succeed. Not only do I satisfy the breadth of my
intended, but I dance in them until the soles run ragged.
-- Cody Dieruf
