centenniel’s Profile

About Me

About Me A married, mother of a 13 year old boy, an only child. I am married to his father and this is an only marriage of 15 years for both of us. We have no other children from prior relations or marriages. I retired early from work in 2002 so I am a retired, stay-at-home mom. Originally, I am from Queens, NY but have lived in Southern, CA for all my adult life. I moved here after graduating from college. While I do not regret the choice I made moving here - I had an active and happy young adulthood - I do regret more often than not, being so far away from family and friends. In retrospect, I would advise a young couple just starting out to try to live as close as reasonably possible to loved ones. Not only would doing so be good for the couple, it would be very good for any future children. Growing up with an extended family nearby - having cousins, aunts/uncles and grandparents - gives kids precious childhood memories. Having grown up in an extended family myself, I'm deeply sorry that my son will never experience these same wonderful benefits. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. But getting back to my profile, I have been living with (MS) multiple sclerosis for about 10 years now. To date, my disability has been challenging, but not devastating as too often this is the case with MS especially as it progresses. For now, I'm probably better at managing my MS than I am with my parental duties of raising a 13 year old boy. He is not what I'd call an "easy" child as we are dealing with serious academic and behavior problems. While I do not see signs of conduct disorder, I am very concerned with the kind of person that is starting to emerge. I think this is where DailyStrength.org can play a part in my life having now browsed the site with much interest and hope. Parenting is tough enough; being connected with a parent support group like this one is probably something every parent should at least try. I am looking forward to meeting like-minded folks, hoping to receive compassionate, parental support. It is also my hope to be of help and encouraging to others in need. Thanks for stopping by and reading my profile.