365 Days of Impacts

(Post for 4/1) On April 1st, 1991 my bonus daughter Caroline was born. While I did not become a part of Caroline's life until 13 years later, I celebrate her on this day as it has new significance to me. One of the best stories I have about Caroline is when Smeagol got attacked by the family dog Zelda, I took Smeagol in to get her out of the crowded apartment with the dog, Caroline, Kate and Dennis. It was very traumatic for Caroline to come home from school to the scene of an injured and in pain Smeagol huddled behind the commode and Zelda hiding in the closet in shame after attacking her. I felt bad that she had to be the one to find them in this traumatic scene. Also, I feared that Smeagol would not make it if left in the apartment with Zelda, which is why I took her back to my house to take care of her in a controlled environment. Caroline thanked me profusely for taking Smeagol in and taking care of her. Both animals were part of their early childhoods growing up - and I didn...

Caroline Elizabeth Williams is Dennis' youngest child, and the first of them that I met. Caroline and I hit it off instantly because we had a bunch in common - specifically artistic talent. She was 13 when we met - I was singing at Eddie's Attic with my band at my friends 40th birthday party and Dennis brought her out to meet me. I don't think that I am overstating when I say that she is a child prodigy. Her ability lies in academics. From a young age, she has always been at the top of her class. She graduated as the top Student at Tucker High School - having received the highest SAT score of all the students, complete with banner on the front of the school! She is also a voracious reader (something I am not and wish I was) and has read almost every series of books from Outlander to all the Harry Potter Series. She makes me wish that I was a better reader so we could have more conversations around books. Not only is she good at academics, but Caroline is a wicked...

I never physically had kids myself. While this may be a true statement, I do have kids. They come from another mother. They are all very different and beautiful in their own ways. The first born was Katherine Pamela Williams, I call her Kate. But she goes by Kat. And sometimes Katherine. Never Kitty. But she lets me call her Kate. She is the one that emphatically reminds me that I DO have kids. I appreciate that - because it is hard to come into a relationship with someone who has kids and establish yourself as anything more than a friend, let alone a mother 'figure'. Or worse, the step MONSTER. Kate and I had a slow start - she was the last of the three kids to have met me, and she was very methodical and deliberate in her desire to wait to meet me. I was actually thankful for it, because it was nerve racking. The day we met, she was cleaning the kitchen in Dennis' apartment, which she had recently moved into with him. I didn't know what to expect. I ...