The year was 1973

The young woman was 26 years old, married and mother of 2 children. She did not know that this would be the year to change her world forever.

The 1st of April she had a birth defect corrected. You see she was born with a protruding lower jaw, causing an underbite. She always felt so self conscious of this and would try to not let her teeth rest together till her jaws ached. When she learned of the surgery that could repair it, she jumped at the chance regardless of the risks. Only one month later, with wires still in place holding the jaws together, her father died.

She stood at the foot of his hospital bed with tears running down her cheeks and hung onto his foot, as the Dr. gave him an injection into his heart, but told her it was like beating an old worn tire. He slipped away without this woman being able to tell him how much he ment to her. He would never see what she was to become.

In Aug of this year a trip was made from the midwest to Washington State to visit sisters who lived there. By Nov one of the sisters was divorcing her husband. This hit home to cause doubts in the stability of marriages in general.

By the first of Sept. she found herself a new student of nursing, although at the time she did not realize how far this would take her and the strength it would provide.

It would be 1980 before her own marriage fell apart, but even back in 1973 she knew deep in her heart that she needed to prepare herself to be able to stand on her own two feet. She knew that she was more than just a wife and mother. She was a person who had a deep desire to grow and expand in herself. But she didn't know that 1973 was to be,,,, just the beginning.