Finding the Me in Me: Do You Know the You in You?

By Glenda Barnett-Streicher

The loss of a child is never going to be easy for any parent and questioning yourself will always be a part of the processing you have to get through.

Your faith can be what holds you together with the help of your family, or you can isolate yourself and try to make it on your own. Awareness of parenting skills can assist in making right choices as you raise your children and faith can strengthen those choices.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 19, 2009
• ISBN: 9781449052997

Glenda Barnett-Streicher

My life is that of Christian, mother, wife, and Registered Nurse as a Certified Nephrology Nurse specializing in the care of kidney patients. In those acts of duty I have always been a care giver and am best in that role. Born the second in a family of four my life started on July 07, 1952. I have one brother (Steve) who is older and two younger sisters (Anita and Jeannie). My mother (Juanita) is still living and my father (JR) is deceased nine years to date. I am a wife to Joseph (Doc) and mother to two wonderful daughters; Lisa is a mother and an Assistant Principal in middle school education in North Carolina,and Becca the mother of two became a victim of domestic violence in November 2007. I am also the step-mother to Sharon who works in the field of Business Accounting. My focus is now to work with Domestic Violence by assisting in providing edcuation to potential victims and support for families who are survivors of Violent acts upon their loved ones.

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© 2009 Glenda Barnett-Streicher. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/18/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4490-5299-7 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-5298-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-5297-3 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009912343

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CONCLUSION

ENDNOTES

Dedication

To Rebecca Lynn my daughter whose death led me to be a stronger person. To Lisa Marie my daughter, whose own personal strength I can draw from, and to Joseph my husband who has always believed in me no matter what the task I choose to conquer.

INTRODUCTION 

LIFE DEALS US A DIFFERENT hand or challenge each day we are allowed to be a part of it. Seems strange to think we are allowed to exist, but that truly is a gift given to us each day we awaken to the world God created for us. I had a friend recently say to me ‘no matter what we might experience the sun will rise tomorrow’. How true that is. The most important thing is how we choose to respond to the experiences that are presented to us, that choice is up to us.

As I see it there are two very different and distinctive parts to us as a being – one that is very human and one that is spiritual. The problem is that too often we allow the human part to hide the spiritual part from who we really are. Spiritual being is not tied one hundred percent to our religious beliefs as that of being Christian, Muslim, or even atheists, in some instances, but includes the belief or faith we have in ourselves.

Tragedy often causes people to refocus on their purpose in life and who they really are. Am I doing what I want to do? Do I serve a purpose to anyone or anything? What is the bigger picture that I am supposed to see or experience? Am I satisfied with where I am in my life or do I need to make a change? What is that change and when should I move toward it? My tragedy was the brutal stabbing death of my youngest daughter – Becca. This has caused me to re-evaluate my life as it is.

I hope that from reading this book that you will be able to reflect on events and people in your own life that impact the person you are and within your self then, discover who you are for you, not for what you do or give to those around you. Do you know who you are? Within your body, your soul, and your mind do you know who you are?

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

My journey now is to look at my life in a time of tragedy and loss and discover ways of Finding the Me in Me and by doing so have the courage to face the things that have put me where I am, people who have made me who I am, and to become a stronger better person because of the combination of the two entities – my human and spiritual self.

Do You Know the You in You?

CHAPTER ONE 

CHILDHOOD

THE FOUNDATION OF WHO WE ARE

BORN THE SECOND CHILD IN a family of four and the first female I felt my purpose was to take care of my younger sisters. My brother lived with my paternal grandparents from an early age so I don’t remember early childhood relationships with him. My sister closest to my age and I seemed to always have a stronger degree of competition going on between us than I had with my little sister. I was always the big sister. I felt I was in the role of looking after my younger sisters because it seemed mom was always at work. The three of us fought like all sisters do, but I still felt I had to help mom, I had to be there, and I had to be the one taking care of them – being the big sister and all. At an early age I became a care giver.

To the world most perceive childhood as a time of carefree, playful, happy days. What concerns could a child possibly have, they have a roof over their head, food on the table and clothes on their back. In an article by Kids Health in June 2005, it was stated that even young children have worries and feel stress to some degree. Stress is a function of demands placed on us and our ability to meet them.¹

My dad was an alcoholic and abused my mother. I remember the many times I could hear her crying behind closed doors or see her cowering in the floor behind the bed when he had hit her. I know it wasn’t moms’ fault - she was the victim, but I made a promise to myself that I would never allow a man to abuse me. To see the person I felt was my lifeline appear so vulnerable