IRON-ALYSSA...

I often write about Reid, he's my little brother, it's fun to post about our constant battles and duals.

Heck, less than a month ago he was 40% body fat, and now, after swim club and my constant abuse, he's 24% body fat and even his friends at school are commenting that he's lost weight. He's looking real good.

The person I haven't written much about is my daughter Alyssa.

Tonight's blog is all about Alyssa.

There's something about the relationship between a mother and son that can't be described. It's the same for a father and daughter.

Alyssa is my "little girl" and I feel like she's the best of me. As a little girl, I remember her so glad to see me when I came home from work and she "loved her daddy". Mom could do everything for her, but she wanted "her daddy".

Alyssa was the dream little girl. I remember thinking at the time that I was so lucky to have her as a daughter. I was blessed. She was so cute and smart and had the world by the tail. I NEVER thought I'd have to worry about her, she was a "star" and was going to make my life easy. I'd just have to sit back and glow in her glory.

We moved to Ontario when she was 13 years old. Her and I were the only ones that wanted to move to Ontario, she was so ambitious. Alice wasn't keen about moving to Ontario and Reid was too young to know better.

After we moved here, Alyssa came down with a serious medical condition. She went from the happy go lucky girl that thought the world was her oyster, to someone that struggled just to get out of bed.

She went from being outgoing and involved to reserved and withdrawn. I didn't even recognize her anymore. It was something that was completely unexpected. Here was "my little girl" that I figured was going to conquer the world, to someone that I thought may never be able to live on her own.

It was beyond heartbreaking. It was devastating.

Alyssa now had trouble going to school. She ended up falling back two years. The illness was so severe she couldn't attend classes and essentially failed.

She moved from school to school. For the first three years, she attended a different school every year. It was tough for her to make new friends, especially when she was "the new girl" and when "she wasn't there regularly".

During that period, I saw "my little girl" drift way. It broke my heart to a level I can't even explain.

Then something "miraculous" happened. She came back.

Of her own free will and strength, she fought her demons. I like to think I had something to do with it, she may have hated my tough love, but it was 99% her. Not only did she "fight back", she came back stronger than she was before.

Alyssa's battles took two years to over come. It set her back two high school years. For most people it takes four years to complete high school. I'm proud to say, for her it took six. The reason I'm proud to say that is that this year she is going to graduate.

I feel so happy for her. With all the bouncing around from school to school, Alyssa has never even gotten a yearbook. She has no printed record of her high school years.

This year she attended high school as a 19 year old. It was her last "kick at the can". Schools don't allow anyone over the age of 19 to attend. If she didn't do it this year, it was GED time. It was "make or break".

Truth be told, I wasn't hopeful. If Alyssa attended one week of school, without missing a day, I was "proud". Truthfully, as bad is this may sound, I didn't think she was going to make it.

I was wrong.

Not only did Alyssa do it, she did it with a IN YOUR FACE!!! Not only did she battle her demons, she "kicked their asses". I'd like to say "my little girl was back", but she wasn't. My "little girl" bloomed. She was better than back. She was on the attack.

This is what she accomplished this year:

Grades:

90% in English

90% in Economics

88% in Accounting

91% in History

91% in Law

94% in Sociology

83% in Exercise Science

83% in Math

Overall she averaged 90% in all subjects.

Other:

She won 2nd place in apparel / accessories in sales and marketing at the DECA regionals and made it to the Provincials.

She created the Constitution for her High Schools first Student Council.

She received a certificate of recognition for details in all your work and thoroughness in preparing.

She received an Excellence award for the "highest mark in Media Arts".

She was the Assistant Manager of Sales and Marketing for Donum, a Junior Achievement project, which turned a profit.

She was accepted to Ryerson and York University for Psychology. She chose Ryerson.

Non School Accomplishments

She trained hard for her first 5 km run and finished in 28:13

She's now training for UFE Halloween Mayhem on October 23rd. (I'm not sure what it is, but it's a combination of body building with fitness and essentially you have to be in AWESOME SHAPE. I've been seeing her working out on the weight machine and with dumbells all the time lately).

The Fatherly Result

I can't say how proud I am of Alyssa. She's the perfect daughter. She's battled illness and has never been a problem child. This may be hard to believe, especially with me as her father, but I've never seen her drunk, or even have more than a few drinks. She's more than responsible. I would allow her to baby sit me anytime.

What makes me most proud is the adversity she has overcome. She never gave up. I may have come close to thinking the worst, but she didn't. She didn't just overcome, she "knocked it out of the ball park".

This year is Alyssa's graduation, it's going to be special. I can hardly wait for "my little girl" who never had a yearbook or was even around to pick up her class photo, to walk up on that stage and pick up that diploma. No one has earned that moment more than Alyssa.

Rest day.

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