Raising kids is difficult when you are in perfect health, but raising them with chronic pain and genetic diseases is even more difficult. Recently being diagnosed with fibromyalgia and already having scoliosis with a 42% curvature makes being a mama difficult at times. It’s a labor of love and of the heart. Every morning is a challenge to crawl or roll out of bed, every morning I would rather stay in bed and not move at all with swollen hands and aching joints. The only things that keep me going are the knowledge of my children’s needs and my privileged of being the one they look to for supporting their needs. I know they need me and I am honored that I am the one who they trust, despite my short comings, to fulfill those needs. This single piece of knowledge is what keeps me from rolling over and just giving up, it keeps me from letting the house slide into total squalor, it keeps me from letting the bills go, it keeps me from letting myself go. My children are my rock, my salvation and my very being. They are what make my world bearable and give me the abilities to push through the daily pain to achieve everything I should be as a mama and a person. I count my blessings (all 5 of them) every day and will for the rest of my life and theirs.