At the age of 12, my sister was diagnosed with Type 1, Juvenile Diabetes. I was only 7 years old, so I didn’t really understand what happened. All I can remember is crying because my sister was in pain and I hated to see her laying in that hospital bed. Every month we had to take a trip to Duke Children’s Hospital for her to see the diabetes specialist. For the most part, she keeps it under control and wears an insulin pump to take her medicine. After that experience, I considered my sister a warrior. As with my brother, I admired my sister. I wanted to do everything she did.
She got good grades in school and stayed out of trouble for the most part. There were a couple of calls home, but it was because she wanted to hang with the wrong people. My sister and I also became closer as we got older. I was in middle school when she went away for college. The first time we dropped her off and left I cried, but after that, I’d be ready for her to go back. Four years passed and we were back together. Between high school and now, we’ve had so many hilarious memories. People don’t understand our relationship. When we’re talking, it may seem like we’re fussing or yelling at each, but that honestly how we hold conversations.
When we get on the phone, we talk for hours about everything, dating, drama, our family, etc. I don’t hide anything from my sister because I know she has my back and will help me out whenever I need it. I would do the same thing for her, too. Chapter 5 also mentions how families and peer pressure play an important role in who we choose to date. I pay attention to the kind of guys that my sister dates and we have very different interests, in looks, personality types, and age. Watching her has helped me narrow my dating pool, plus I don’t want to date someone who I feel would be a better fit for my sister than me.
My childhood experiences regarding sex were minimum. I knew nothing about sex until middle school. My 7th grade science held a class one time on sexual education. We had to get parental consent in order to attend the class. We learned about sexual intercourse, the risk of pregnancy, as well as the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. On page 180 in the text, it reads “Adolescents who have close friends who are sexually active are much more likely to become sexually active as well. ” This is relatable because I learned about sex from my best friend.
She has always been more advanced than I was. I never felt pressured by her, but everyone around me was having sex and I wanted to see what the hype was about. I didn’t become sexually active until my junior year in high school. Honestly, I wish would have waited until I was married, but I wanted to experience what it was like. After it happened, I felt like I had permanently lost something very precious that had been with me for 17 years. I think that’s what attached me to my then boyfriend. I felt that if I kept him, I could hold on to what I lost, but I was wrong.
Sex is a bittersweet desire. On some days, I wish I would’ve kept it closed, and on other days, I want to do it again. The next time it happens, I want it to be with the person that I could potentially marry. I am not against premarital sex. I am against just giving my body to every inviting face. As I anticipate marriage, I hope that my partner and I are sexually compatible. I want it to be a passionate experience. We should be comfortable with each and willing to give every part of our being to one another. If he marries me, I expect that he will accept my body, even after having children.
I hope that he’s open to trying new things to keep the “spice” alive. Nothing involving a third person though, I wouldn’t be comfortable with that myself. Relating to a statement from the text “ the quality of the marriage relationship is more important than sex per se. ” I agree. Sex should be the sweet icing to the cake of marriage. It shouldn’t be what holds two people together, but what enhances their relationship. I think that I do have self-understanding. My five chief goals in life are: independence, financially stable, educated, well-traveled, and good health .
Independence is my number one goal because I don’t want to have to spend my entire life being supported by anybody else. I want to stand on my own two feet and handle my business. I’m not saying that I won’t need help from time to time, but I would prefer it be a last resource rather than a first. Financial stability is my second because I don’t want to worry about how my bills are going to get paid. I don’t want to live paycheck to paycheck. I want to have “rainy day” money saved up for when the unexpected happens. I want to be able to afford to travel.
Anything that I want to do, I should be able to do so without the hassle of worrying about a dollar. Education is my third. I’m hoping that my Early Childhood Education degree with provide me with the foundation to help me make a change in the world. I am willing to get all the education that I need whether it be sitting in the classroom taking notes or out on the job being hands-on. Every experience is a learning experience. One day, I want have experienced teaching at every level. My fourth is to be well-traveled.
In all 21 years of my life of living in North Carolina, I’ve only been to Florida, Maryland, Washington D. C. , Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. Before I travel outside of the country, I want to explore the states. There are many different people in the world with totally different lifestyles. My top three states to see are New Orleans, California, and Nevada. My final is good health. It encompasses everything else because if I am not of sound, mind, and body, I can’t live my life and achieve my goals. I hate to even get a common cold, so anything worse than that would ruin me. I try to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep because you can’t be the best you when you’re not in shape.
