52 Stories: A yarn of a tale

Inspired by One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern, I've decided to ask people some thought provoking questions about themselves, as I feel that everyone has a story to tell. If you're just joining me on this journey today, please check out the previous posts from this series, as well.

I met this storyteller through my book blog, as well. She's taken the time to e-mail me to thank me for books that she's won, and I've enjoyed chatting with her about other topics, as well. I found that this 52 Stories post was a great way to get to know even more about her, which led to conversations I never thought we would have.

Name: Lauren McCormick
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Location: Fort Worth, TX

What is an experience that is legendary for you?
I agreed to go on a blind date and it was love at first sight! We went to dinner and a movie on a Friday, then Saturday we spent 12 hours at Six Flags, and on Sunday I invited him to my house for dinner and a movie. It was on that day, our third date in a row, that we both knew we'd get married. We dated seven months, spending every day together, and got engaged on Christmas Eve. Two months later, my husband, who was a crew chief on the B52 in the Air Force, was scheduled to go to the Gulf War. He asked me to marry him before he left, so we sort of eloped, however my parents gave us the loveliest wedding ceremony and party in very short notice! Since my in-laws couldn't make the trip, we had them on speaker phone so they could be a part of our wedding. Our pictures have a phone cord running down the center between us! We have been happily married for 21 years as of Valentine's Day 2013. Other than the birth of our son, our Valenersary, is our favorite day of the year! The best part is, a month later, his plane was taken off the list and he never went to war! He told me I was his lifesaver, and even bought me a lifesaver jacket charm!

What is your guilty pleasure?
I'm a chocoholic! I have to be careful because once I get a craving for chocolate its hard to control myself! My favorite guilty pleasure however, is Bottle Caps! I've loved them since childhood and now they come in a box for just a dollar! When I go to a movie theater there's a box in my purse. Shhh, don't tell. I say an open box is an empty box!

What is something you've never done but would like to do?
That's an easy question for me! Through an online game, I met my best friend who lives in Spain. We would communicate on each other's walls and wanted privacy after a few months, so my husband found an App that we could text and send pics for free. After a few months we wanted so much to speak to one another. Again, my husband found an App that allowed us to talk on our cell phones for free! We talked for hours every day! We just celebrated one year of our blessed friendship, and now I pray with tax return I'll go to Spain, so we can finally meet!

I'm actually afraid of flying even though I've flown a lot, and going all the way to Spain has my heart beating in my throat! Getting to meet my best friend, however, is well worth facing my fear!

If you could give someone one of your favorite things as a gift, what would it be and why?
I've been crocheting for 40 years now. This hobby allows me to create items from my heart.
When I'm making something, I meditate and pray with every stitch I make. Giving what I make to someone is very therapeutic for me. I love to make washcloths while waiting for the nurse to call me for back for my doctor appointment. It warms my heart to surprise her with it!

What I enjoy most, is giving an elderly woman in a nursing home a prayer shawl or lapghan to an elderly man. That act of kindness has blessed me ten fold throughout the years. I rarely keep anything I make. I always have someone in mind, and when I hand them an item, I know they'll cherish it for many years to come. Crocheting is a blessing and I love sharing it with everyone!

What is something you did that changed someone's life?
When my son was nine years old, after years of infertility and artificial insemination procedures to give him a younger sibling, and being told by one of the top professionals that my husband and I were one of the one percent of couples who have a biological child and have no reason to not reproduce, we chose to adopt. Our son had just seen the movie, Annie, and exclaimed, "I want a sister and she needs to be five years old!" Out of the mouths of babes!

We had workshops and licensing classes for about a year. When our adoption agency called us and told us they had found exactly what our son wanted, only she had a younger brother that they didn't want to separate, my first thought was, "Oy Vey, what are we doing?!?"

We met the children a few days later and instantly knew in both our hearts, these were our kids!
Yes, it was a difficult transformation to go from a family of three to a family of five overnight! There were counseling appointments twice a week and many hours of documenting behavior, conversations, and how we as a family were acclimating to our new lives together. We had home visits by our agency and CPS three times a month. All this and learning to parent three kids, all with their own baggage! Yet through it all, my husband and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, we signed on for a life long Mitzvah, and God had hand picked these kids for us!

What part of your personality is extinct?
I was a workaholic from the time I graduated college to just six years ago. For 22 years I was a school teacher and my day started at five a.m., because I "had" to walk into the school with the custodial staff! Even though I was working on curriculum and my classroom for a good two hours prior to students walking in, I then stayed after school for another two hours. The routine was, when my husband called, it was time for me to head home! Time seemed to fly during those years!

I loved teaching, and unfortunately my career was cut short way before I was ready to retire. Due to a spinal injury, neck and shoulder damage, and nerve pain, my day starts whenever I wake up. I move much slower, and make appointments as late in the day as possible.

So, I'd say for sure, being a workaholic is definitely extinct! I went from the speedy rabbit in the race to the turtle. I'm okay with that though, as I sure can read a lot more books than I've ever read! And time still seems to fly by.

What is one thing that you find really funny?
I'm going to say there are two things I find really funny. My husband and my oldest son always know how to have me in tears from laughter! Whether I'm feeling sad or stressed out, one of them or both together, will tell me a joke or act out someone's actions, and every time without fail, I'm laughing, giggling, and feeling much better! I love that about them! I have to be very careful when we're out in public, because when they get going, I may not have a bathroom close enough to run to from laughing so hard!!

Tell me one thing you love about yourself or a gift you'd get yourself where money isn't an issue?
I like how easily I can strike up a conversation with anyone. I have a very outgoing personality and when I go into a store I'll talk to the clerk behind the counter or someone standing in line. I'll tell a woman passing by me that I like her purse and ask where she bought it too! Haha

What TV show, book, or movie is most like your life?
I think the relationship between Monica and Chandler, from the sitcom Friends, reminds me very much of my husband and I. One of my favorite moments was when Monica was upset that she was high maintenance, and Chandler told her, But I like maintaining you. My husband and I laughed all day about that because he'd already told me that long before we saw it on the show!

If you are familiar with the show you'll understand the comparison when I say my husbands always telling me to be quieter as I speak very loudly, and like I mentioned earlier, my husbands always making me laugh, just like Chandler always had something funny to say no matter how serious the situation was.

What is something that not many people know about you?
I don't have a sense of smell. I had to do a lot of diaper changing because of that! Smell and taste are very important together for most foods, so I also taste foods differently than most people. My kids favorite thing to do, whennt hey were young, was to have me taste Jelly Belly's and tell them what flavor they were. I could never win at this game!