#12 BL

My #12 is a very good friend and co-worker.  She is like a sister to me.  In fact, she is very much like my sister.  I have know her since high-school and have worked with her for the past 9 years.  Here are some of the things that endear her to me:

1.  She got me back into exercising after I finished having my kids.  I really cannot believe it, but from 1995 - 2002, I did not exercise at all.  I was very athletic and active in high school.  In college and PT school, I was a regular at Bourgeois Hall, the French Riveria Spa, and often times you could catch me running near the lake with a running group.  But...I'm not sure what happened when I got pregnant.  It was almost like, what's the use since I'm just going to gain it again.  Anyway, after I had Seth, #12 convinced me to start running again with her.  We trained from February until November and then ran the Cajun Country half marathon in Lafayette.  That's 13.1 big ones.  If anyone is interested, here are the results.  She was a much more experienced runner than me and had already run a full marathon earlier that year.  Despite this, she promised that she would stay with me the entire time during the 1/2.   And she did...  She finished 158th in 2 hours 12 minutes and 16.8 seconds and I finished 159 in 2 hours 12 minutes and 33.2 seconds. (And I'm not telling you out of how many)   Awesome motivator and exercise partner! (Note to #12 - I miss our lunch workouts.  Quit working so hard and come back to exercise with me!)

2.  She is an awesome OT, but an even better person.  I honestly don't think that I have ever seen her be mean to anyone.  Nothing is too much to ask, even if sometimes it should be.  I remember one hurricaine evacuation where she not only stayed home, but she invited 3-4 patients and their extended families to stay at her house.  And they did...  May have even brought pets?!?  She also has built a small apartment in her backyard for her mom to live so that she can be near if her mom needs anything, while still allowing her mom some independence.  Only two examples of many truly selfless acts!

3.  I've said that she reminds me of my sister.  Let me just put it this way...creative people cannot be neat! (Sorry Sarah!)  #12 is very creative.  Her patients love her, especially the kids.  They call her the "activity lady" because she is always going the extra mile to come up with fun ideas that can be converted to therapeutic gains.  I have seen her plant a garden with a child who has deficits from "shaken baby syndrome."  She helped me set up a volunteer gymnastic program for children with disabilities at GDC, and vounteered her time on weeknights to help teach the group.  One year, we trained 2 handicapped kids in track and field events and then went with them to compete at the GUMBO games.  Occasionally, my organized self and her messy, cluttered non-organized self have to find a balance, but just like my sister...I appreciate her and love her all the same!

key words:  OT, runner, friend, silly, makes me laugh, creative