Tough Pioneer Girl

My dad has always teased me about being a "tough pioneer girl" ever since I was a little girl. He taught me about my Dana and Hunsaker Mormon pioneer heritage. I grew up hearing the family stories and feeling proud to be a member of a great family. Now that I think back on that little phrase that he would tease me about I wonder if I was a whiner. Being the only girl in a family of boys I imagine that I must of been too girly and it was his way of encouraging me to be strong and less of a complainer.

I can still hear his response in his playful voice after my comments of saying something like, "I'm afraid... or, I can't do that..." Then he would say, "Oh, yes you can. You're a strong pioneer girl."

He has no idea what a gift he gave me with that little phrase. He instilled in me that good old pioneer spirit. When I'm confronted with a difficult trial or situation and I just want to give up or say it's too hard for me, I hear his words, "You can do it. You're a tough pioneer girl."

So here I am trying really hard to be that tough pioneer girl. Tomorrow I go in to the hospital bright and early, to have my large intestine {colon} removed. I've inherited a really bad genetic family {not the pioneer family side} precancerous colon. In time it would turn cancerous. It's really weird how a person like me can seem healthy and normal living life day in and day out and then found out terrible news that will turn my whole world upside down. But the upside down part only lasted a few hours here and there a little.

Wow. How grateful I am to a loving, supportive husband, family and friends who pray and fast for me, great doctors and health insurance, peace and calm that the temple gives me when I attend, priesthood blessings that comfort, wonderful in-laws that take over and love my children when I can't be there, a ward family that lets me know how much I'm loved, and a loving Heavenly Father that is aware of each of us and cares what we're going through.

John says that I'm going to be like that six million dollar women... "We'll make her better than before..." something like that.

And thanks dad, for such a great lesson. I guess I am that tough pioneer girl.