Lora's likes

Some of my friend Lora's favorite things:

I like movies my favorite moves are born free all the James bond moves
I like going out to eat at the olive garden love Mexican food

I like to paint in oils I like al kinds

I like to watch tv I like Leno

I like all the shows on medical like untold story's of the er i like nature and wrestling and moves to on tv

I love meet people from al over the world love to learn what they do I love the net

"My life has been enriched"

I received this sweet note about my friend Lora (who has Williams syndrome) from a friend of hers. She gave me permission to post it here.

I met Lora at Dietert Senior Center when I was volunteering to do the front desk. She and Mark were taking some painting lessons. We had lunch with both of them and later with just Lora. I was a bit taken aback when she said to me "you can ask me anything you want". At first I didn't understand but realized she was a very unique person. As I got to know her, I found Lora to be the most open, honest and cheerful person I have ever met.

My husband and I invited Mark and Lora to have dinner at our house. She expressed an interest and knowledge of animals so my husband pulled out his photo albums from his time in South Africa. Lora was delighted and knew so many of the animals. She said she learned from watching National Geographic programs.

I feel my life has been enriched by meeting and getting to know Lora and Mark. I think Mark must be a wonderful person to have recognized what a very special person Lora is. I have said to many of my friends that I wish I could be more like Lora - so trusting, friendly and innocent - rare traits in today's world.

Thank you for allowing me to comment on my friend, Lora.

 Ann

Lora's jobs

Tonight, I had a nice time chatting with my friend Lora about jobs she's had in the past.

can you tell me about the jobs you've had over the years?

ive had so many

ive worked in a nurseing home ive worked for a camp ive worked for 3 day cares

ive worked for mcdonalds ive worked for church chiken

i worked for the county

do you have a favorite place you've worked?

churchs chiken thats where i meet mark

im trying to think

if i could have any job it would be working in a zoo working with the big cats

i love cats

i think most of us with ws love animals

that sounds like it would be a fun job!

i worked for a vet that was fun

i worked for the pound

i cant think of the other jobs ive had

what kinds of things did you do at the vet?

i cleaned cages would help being the animals out

chang animals a round

fridays where fun there i got to go in and wach them do sugerys

working for the pound was hard

why?

had to put a lot of animals down


oh, that's so sad.

yes

obe time we had to put a dear down that was alfull she was going to have a baby she got hit and ran in to a fence got stuck

i loved working for the day cares

all thos kids runing up to me huging me

what kinds of things did you do there?

would do runing for the teacher like runing off papper they neeed i helped to put kids down for there naps i worked in the kichen

cooked

put kids in time out lol

how old were you when you worked there?

was in my lets 30s

i al so worked for a work shop for handicampped aulds

anything you enjoyed doing there, in particular?

when we would stuff envalops

i like to do colateing puting letters together

stuff like that

we did a lot of diffent things there

what did you do at McD's and Church's Chicken?

i was their gretter i clean tabels i got drinks for them

Thanks for sharing, Lora!

Interview with Lora

Lora is a friend I met via Facebook. She's a 48-year-old woman with Williams syndrome who has been married for 20 years. She's been an inspiration and encouragement to me and I wanted to share her story with you. With her permission, I'm sharing a chat session we had the other night. I'm hoping to have many more with her. If you have a question you'd like Lora to answer, leave a comment and we'll post her answer!

How old were you when you got your diagnosis of WS?

I was 6 years old.

When you talk to parents of children with WS, what do you like to tell them?

That it's so important not to hold them back

In what ways?

In all ways. A person with ws should be looked at as a prison not as some one who can't do any thing.

I want propel to see what we are made of don't tell you child you can't do this tell them thy can.

ive had a very ruff life but at the same time ive learned a lot to a bout who i am what i am

So, how do you see yourself? How do you describe yourself?

i see my self as a strong woman with ws

can i ask you someing

Sure.

is it hard for you

Hard for me to be the parent of a child with WS?

yes

i dont get to talk with prants with child with ws i wish i could talk more to them

Hmmm. The hard parts for me are seeing the struggles that my son has and wishing things would be easier for him, hoping that he doesn't get teased for being different as he grows up and goes through school, and, in the beginning before we got his diagnosis, wondering why he was having so many physical difficulties and not knowing the answers. It can be difficult to keep up with all the therapy and doctor appointments and intentionally spend time with him teaching him how to do things that come naturally to other children, but he has also brought so much into our lives that we wouldn't have if we weren't on this journey. And, most importantly, God has been good in giving us the grace and mercy we need as we parent him-- and in that respect, it's not "hard" being his mother -- it's a joy.

amen. this may sound funny but i think if you put any kind of child with a hadicampped im a home it will chang lifes for ever

that is for sure -- it definitely starts you a journey that you didn't expect to be on.

true

So, which of the physical aspects of WS have you had to deal with? Any heart problems?

yes. when i was little. no heart surgeries. i been blessed with that.

Any other physical problems?

not that i know of.
mom says i didnt start walking tell i was a little older.

What kinds of things have you gotten involved with as an adult?

i been to 3 conffcers
i vontteer for our hospice

What do you do for hospice?

i help with a lot of diffent things we have a group that gos to nurseing homes and we read to them i back cookies and do other things

i al so vontter for our art museum
i greet peopel as they come in love it

Can you tell me about how you met and married your husband Mark?

 i was a gretter at a fast food restaurant he was a ranch hand he would come in and sit in the middel of the restaurant

he was so shy it was sweet

we dint talk to eachother much

you know when the right man come in to your life at the right tim

i was going to a singles group just to fime a friend

he walked in to one i was at i al most fell out of my chair
i was working for charch fried chiken
he looked at me and sied your the chiken lady
lol
we started to talk a bout diffent things
then my friend who drove me there was geting ready to leave i thought
if i dont talk more to this guy i want get to again
so i told her ill fine some one to take me home
guess who i asked to take me home lol
so he took me home
telling my mom that i was in love was hared for me
i dint know my own feelings for this guy was to be honst i was scared to deith
our frist deat was on one of the ranchs he worked on

im a city girl here i am in the boonies

with goats and other things i never saw be for

it took me a few moths to trust him

so after a few moth deating i knoew i was in love

i asked him to marry me

Wow!

then we heared my aunt was very sick had to go see her

you talk a bout god puting me throw a test

my aunt had cancer i dint know a bout it

my aunt is stll alive healed of cancer

here i am now 48 been married 20 years

To be continued . . .