My life of 3's

I was born April 3rd. I was 3 pound 11 ounces. I am one of 3 children. I was 3 months premature. I was 3 when my appendix ruptured. I dated my wife 3 years before marriage. My wife's age and mine are 3 years apart. I was 23 when I got married. We had our first child 3 years after we got married. My children are 3 years apart. I worked my first drafting job for 3 years. I started my longest tenure of work in 1983.

My life (things heard and remembered)

I was born April 3rd, 1961 in Warrenton Virginia. I was premature and weighed 3 lbs. and 11 ounces. Life had already gave me a struggle. At the age of 3 my appendix ruptured. I had a long stay and made medical history at Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton Virginia. Life again gave me a struggle. I had a normal childhood of any middle class family. Most of my life I grew up on a farm with horses, cows and chickens. I fished every chance I got. My dad was a bird lover and we also had pigeons, golden head pheasants and peacocks. I lived with my parents, my grandmothers, my sister and brother. My brother and I had chores to do daily caring and feeding the animals. I had a pony named Blacky. I enjoyed riding but I traded my pony in for a dirt bike when I was 13. I started driving when I was 16. My first ride was a 1966 mustang. I graduated at Fauquier High School in 1979. I had taken 2 year and a 1,080 hour drafting class in 11th and 12th grade. Drafting turned out to be my career and I did it for the next 28 years. I first started in the bridge industry for 3 years then moved on to a miscellaneous and structural steel fabricator. I worked on many complicated projects. I detailed beams, columns and truss systems. The company I worked for had many projects in the District of Columbia, Virginia and Maryland. The company did work on many well known buildings. To name a few, Library of Congress, The Kennedy Center, The Pentagon and the Supreme Court. I worked there right up until my ALS diagnosis in Sept. 2006. Life again has given me a struggle.

I met my wife in 1981 and we got married in 1984. We had our daughter in 1987 and had our son in 1990. As with any couple we worked hard and raised our kids to the best of our ability. My wife stayed home during the early years for both our children. My values as a parent and provider were instilled in me at a very early age. Both of my parents worked hard to provide for 3 children. My mother's mom took care of us when mom was at work. I always wondered what I would become. I worried about what I would do for a living. When I was young the Vietnam war was going on and I remember seeing it on the news. It was frightening to see that at a young age. Things in my life just always seemed to work out. I have no regrets. I have fought the good fight. GOD has blessed me in so many ways. Today I have use of both arms and can type. I am getting around with a cane. Everyday I wake up I give GOD the glory and thank him for what he has given me. ALS can hinder me physically but can never take my soul. To each and every person that reads this I don't want you to feel sorry for me or pity me. I want you also to wake up everyday just as I do and be thankful we have one another and we have love and peace in our hearts. God bless and take care. Lee