Writing has always been a passion of mine, especially when I can freely write about what I know. What do I know better than myself? After 32 years of living, I am still not quite sure if I can answer that question with 100% accuracy and confidence, but I can honestly say that nobody will ever know me better than I know myself because as unlikely as it may seem at times, it is simply impossible. Who am I? I am Lucille Renee Delany (Luci), the proud, yet sometimes exhausted mother of Taylor Alana, the beloved daughter of Donovan, Margaret, and Ashton, and the sad yet relieved divorced single mother who may still be bitter at times that I failed at my marriage, but the feeling is passing everyday when I realize that I am blessed with the perfect family and wonderful friends. Am I living the American Dream the way I thought I would be when I was a little girl? Far from it, but who is to say what the American Dream is anymore? In this day and age, I would consider the American Dream to be able to say that you can put a stable roof over your head, put food on the table, and still have a little extra money at the end of the week to buy that book you have been waiting for over a month to come out, or go see a movie and still be able to afford the popcorn. If that is anyone else's definition of the American Dream, then I am proud to say that I am living it. :)
Growing up was a little unusual for me, but not in a bad way. I was born in 1981 to Ashton and Margaret Littleton. The stories I heard after I was first born put images in my mind of my mother and father being a happy couple with high hopes for their future, as well as mine. My mother often tells me how I was such a daddy's girl, even though I only knew my father during the first year of my life. Pictures and stories from my family has convinced me that my father loved me more than anything (aside from my mother), and he was the perfect family man. It is unfortunate that his life was tragically cut short in a boating accident in 1982 that turned many lives upside down. My biological father was a beloved man, a man who I am proud of to this day despite the fact that I cannot remember him.
My mother, the strong individual that she was (and still is), provided a life for me the best way she could. After the passing of my biological father, she moved us in with her parents (my amazing grandparents) while she went back to college. Upon her graduation, she landed a nursing job at the local hospital, and moved us into a cozy, two bedroom house in a cute suburban neighborhood. Our house was small, but full of love and laughter, and it was our private sanctuary where I felt the safest I have ever felt in my life. My mother gave me everything, and never allowed me to settle for less than what I deserve. It is her strength that I hope gets passed on to my daughter one day.
When I was 15, my mother met her current husband (my stepfather), Donovan Delany, and they were together for two years before they got married. Donovan was the first father figure I have ever had, and while it took some time (because I was unsure how to bond with a potential father), we eventually formed a strong bond, and I now see him as my father (he legally adopted me as well). He moved us in to his home (which was bigger than ours), and suddenly I had a mother and a father again, and the three of us were a happy little family.
After graduating high school, I met my now ex-husband while attending community college. We hit it off immediately, married way too young, and fast forward ten years later, we divorced and decided to go our separate ways (I hate it when my mother's predictions are accurate). The best thing that I got from my marriage was my daughter, Taylor Alana, who is named after both my mother and stepfather (Donovan Taylor and Margaret Alana). She has, and always will be, the bright spot after the storm, the reason for my being, and the one person that I am the most grateful for every day. Taylor and I are now living in our two bedroom apartment (our personal retreat, much like what my mother and I used to have) across from my work (I work at Saint Agnes Hospital as a Unit Secretary, btw), and we are thriving with our newfound freedom.
So that is me, in a nutshell. This introduction does not begin to cover all of me, but alas, it is only an introduction, and I touched upon the most important things in my life. Further posts will display more of my personality and the other aspects of my simple yet beautiful life. Please follow and enjoy. :)
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