Before I Became A Spoonie....
In a lot of ways, I have always been an overachiever. Throughout my school life, I was able to gather accolades, and also managed to earn some in adulthood. But along with constant awards, another thing constantly knocked on my door: suffering.
Hi, my name is Cassandra, and this is not a sob-story, but rather one that I hope would inspire you. As much as you might see a constant-poker face, this face has gone through a lot more in the shadows of the night.
In my early childhood, I had to deal with abuse. That alone would have been enough to break anyone, but I had to do more: I had to protect my younger siblings and be the guiding aura for them. Since the domestic abuse remained a constant, and the one person I thought I could rely on: my father, was never at home due to his military duties, I decided to find another way out.
At the feeble age of 16, I met someone who I thought was the love of my life. It eventually led to my pregnancy, something that he did not approve of. Ironically, I had thought of him as my escape from abuse, but instead, he became my new abuser. I was “ordered” to abort, which I largely managed to avoid because of his military duties. The pregnancy produced a baby boy, and another child was born after a year’s gap and another boy a year after that! I decided that I had enough. I took my little ones and went back to my parents. Eventually, I had to give up custody of my children because I was unable to bear the expenses.
In the lowest of low I decided to turn my life around and joined the military. Shipped off to Basic training the AIT and then finally reached my first duty station which was overseas. Knowing that I couldn’t have my kids with me during this time, I decided to prioritize myself above everyone and everything else. The better I became, the more I felt as though I could be the best mother I could be.
Love happened a second time, and this time, it struck truer. Things started to get better. I regained the custody of my children. The only problem was that things always seemed to take a darker turn. Four children and 5 years later, I found out that I suffered from Multiple Sclerosis, which eventually turned into Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
With my lifespan now shortened to between 5 to 8.7 years, I knew I had to do something to ensure my kids could continue to survive after me. I could work throughout my life but still, miss out on paying for their expenses! The only sensible thing to do was to aim high. And I did.
Then in 2019 came the birth of Laughing Spoonie LLC with the goal to spreading awareness through humor. Today’s times are full of darkness and sadness. It is scientifically proven that Smiling and Laughing are a few of the best things to do for your health. Although when one has a chronic disease or illness it is easier said than done. That is why I want to help others see that life can always be worse…. After all; life is 10% of what happens and 90% of how you react to it.
P.S. Please feel free to download and share my book: Tragedy to Triumph
XOXO,