Happy Froggydadda's Day

(a picture from February - but one of my favorites)

Froggydaddy was not a great student as a kid. And even in Jr. college, he struggled. As a creative soul, he trudged through math and science, and eventually believed that he just wasn't an "academic person."

When Froggy was in the hospital, we spent a lot of time with the respiratory therapists. Compared to some of the staff at Children's Hospital, these men and women had a wonderful bedside manner, spoke openly with us about CF - and genuinely cared about little Froggy. Above all, they seemed to enjoy their job, and the children who benefited from their care.

After those three weeks in the hospital, FD decided he would like to become a respiratory therapist, so Froggy would receive the best care possible, at home and at clinic. And if he worked at Children's Hospital, he would have inside knowledge regarding the best pulmonologists, therapists and new drugs in the pipeline. Did I mention he is a wonderful daddy?

This was such a courageous decision for him, because of the misery he felt in the "classroom". And I don't believe he actually believed he could do it until tonight. For the past year, FD has been taking prerequisite classes and intro-respiratory therapy classes. He aced his first semester. And this Spring, his pharmacology class was a challenge that really tested his self-esteem. Everyone in the class failed the first test. And the other students he spoke with had failed the class the first time, and if they failed a second time, they would not be accepted into the program... ever. He wanted to give up. But he didn't. After failing his first test, he was sure this just wasn't for him. But he stuck with it and got a B in the class!!! I have never seen anyone study so hard.

His gpa is 3.25! I am soooooooo proud of him. If you know Froggydaddy, you know he is a smart cookie, but he's never felt comfortable in the classroom. I, on the other hand, am most comfortable in the classroom, the obnoxious student raising her hand for every question. But FD, was the kid who sat in the back, making fart noises and teasing the girls he liked. I think for the first 12 years of his life, he was bored - too smart and creative for worksheets and multiplecation tables.

I found a card for FD that read, "It is never too late to be what you might have been" by George Eliot. FD will always be a creative soul, that is what attracted me to him. He sees life through a black and white lens and appreciates people and their problems on a different level. And he can be whomever he wants to be: a respiratory therapist photographer, a daddy, a husband, a son. He is a wonderful person and I'm so happy for his success. Sometimes we have to surprise ourselves to take the next step. And he definitely has. Every once in a while, he'll look at me and say, "I got a B!" And it's the best feeling in the world. My sweet husband who believed he couldn't be anything, can be anything he wants. And in a year from this Spring he will be a certified Respiratory Therapist! And I will be a proud Froggymama!