1. Understand Self
Heather Lynn Peden
April 20, 2015
Medical Specialties
CSS 101-07
"Alexander Graham Bell failed many times while attempting to transmit his voice over a wire until he finally
succeeded. A quote attributed to Bell: ‘When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so
regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us’" (Thomas, 2011, p.I3).
I was forced to grow up early. I will not go into all the details as it is personal but needless to say there was
a lot of slamming doors and sealed windows. As a child, when things are supposed to be easy and life should be
simple, I had obstacles. I could never understand why people were cruel and I still do not understand it. Once I got
the courage to be free, that door started to crack open. The older I got, I came to realize how much I loved helping
people. I liked being the friend that gave advice or a shoulder to lean on. Then again it could be a stranger at the
grocery store or someone walking in the rain.
Later down the road, when I worked at my first daycare, I learned that children need us more than most.
The door opened a little more and I could breathe. When I met my husband it was like a blast of light. He opened
another door for me. The one that had always said I’d never be loved. We have now been together seven years and
will be celebrating our five year anniversary in February.
I gave birth to our beautiful little girl Sophia Rosalie, on January 4, 2015. All the doors had flown open. All
the windows were no longer sealed. For years I had been told I would never have children. Oh how that crushed my
heart. Yet now, I look at her while she is sleeping, and there are no more doors. She has opened up my eyes to the
world and to my own potential. She is the reason I decided to go back to school. I want to be the mother my child
can look up to and be proud of. I also want to give her the best that I amcapable of giving. So now I start on this
new journey with this new outlook. I can’t begin to express how thrilled I am to start this new adventure and walk
through this newly opened door.
The only obstacle that I can see getting in the way is if I have to go back to work. Right now we are okay
with only one income but life happens and things change. Since I amnot working right now, I plan to put all my
focus towards raising our little girl and my school work. However, if I do have to go back to work, then that just
means I will work harder and longer. She is my Inspiration!