Ever wonder how your life will turn out? Ever hope it goes a certain way? Life is unpredictable and you never know what will happen, but in some sense we all hope our lives go a certain way. This is how I hope my life will turn out.

Today is my 83^rd birthday. As I sit in front of a flaming cake with my husband, I look back at my life and smile. I was a deaf interpreter, until my arthritis made it difficult, with a Masters degree in Special Education.

As I blow out my candles and steal a slice of cake, I look behind me at my old guitar and keyboard I used to play back when my Grandfather was alive to teach me, but stopped when he passed away in 2010. I always kept my instruments for times when I need to get a song out of my head. The walls of my house is covered in my old student's pictures and letters from my teaching days. I put them up on the wall, because each one has a story behind it. A story that no one else wanted to see, but me. I was the one who sat with those kids and made them feel good about themselves every day.

I live in the country; far in the out skirts of Middleboro, where it's peaceful and quiet. I decided not to settle down and have kids because of my desire to travel, which is okay because I had the children at my various jobs to call my own. Professionally, I have come a long way from working in a day care setting. I have worked with troubled school age kids, infants and toddlers, and autistic children all around the U.S. Working with children of any age group is never easy but that's why I traveled, to feed my curious mind and to have stories to share with the children I work with.

I feel as though every educator should have something to share with their students, something that makes them unique. That is how you keep your children interested. Children need to learn the basics, yes, but they also need to be curious and to connect with others.

Personally, I've traveled to all fifty states along with China, Russia, Germany, Ireland, Greenland and France.Traveling has always been a passion of mine and something I did as often as I could. I started to run marathons after college and wished I started sooner. Getting into shape isn't easy, but once you get into the habit of working out it is rewarding. I have explored the world around me to the best of my ability. I have touched as many lives as I possibly could. I can say I lived a very fulfilling life. Life may have gone by fast, but I can say that I lived life the way we all should, without fear and with open minds.