The Loss of My Legs
Sergio reflects back in his life to the loss of his legs.
Guest Post: Working With Sergio
This is a guest post written by Casey Schiel. Casey and Ashley grew up together during elementary, junior high and part of high school. He shares a story of how he got his first job working with Sergio at Ace Hardware.
I will never forget my first job as a teenager. I was walking up the street a few blocks to my local Alco retail store with my very first completed application in hand. A block from the store a random minivan pulled up (I think red) and asked me one very simple and to the point question. “What are you doing?”
“Applying for a job at Alco.” I said puzzlingly
Motivationally and assuredly he said, “I am a manager at the Ace Hardware store, why don’t you stop by there first”.
I didn’t think twice, I took his advice by applying right away. I became a proud part-time employee at Ace, as a janitor. My first job, my first team, my first boss Sergio Sanchez. During my short time employed, I had no idea what a lasting impact the experience would have after moving to another town.
After 10 years of numerous part-time jobs and internship experiences I can say that having a personable, knowledgeable and fun supervisor is crucial when creating an enjoyable work environment. I was very lucky to have Sergio provide that leadership, and guidance. He had an enthusiastic way about him every day I spent working at Ace Hardware.
Becoming the man I am today I have always felt timing has been very fortunate. I can’t help but believe that timing has been strongly connected by my religious beliefs, loving family, and past relationships built through simple interactions that most people would tend to forget or take advantage of. My interaction with Sergio that day walking to Alco happened for a reason and I am very grateful he pulled over to say hello.
I’d go back to those days clocking in only to appreciate Sergio even more supervising me. It was a necessary job to keep the day to day operations running and he was sure to trust me with it. Sergio conditioned this same assurance with everyone to create a uniform and successful working environment. I will never forget my first job as a teenager, thank you Sergio you were a great supervisor and a cool dude!
Thank you Casey for sharing your story! Read another guest post from one of Ashley’s classmates on how Sergio affected him as a teacher.
If you have a story to share e-mail it to ashley@thewheelsofgrace.com to have it featured on our blog.
Why I Used to Cry Every Day
Is there something that makes you cry? You cry when you hear about it, talk about it, think about it.
For me that subject was Graduate School.
Graduate school made me cry.
Last time I wrote, I shared my dream I have now for me and my parents. And I shared my original dream of going to grad school that didn’t get fulfilled.
It has been 4 years since I received my undergrad degree and didn’t attend grad school. Now that I think about it if I had gone I would have already received my masters and on to doctoral school. but that wasn’t my calling, this is.
Right after graduation everyone asked me about grad school. The truth is I didn’t get accepted. The other truth is I knew I wouldn’t get accepted. I applied for programs that only let in 3-5 students per year. I wanted to take the fastest route to my doctorate degree. I didn’t even apply for a grad school program that didn’t include a doctorate. The moment I applied I knew I wasn’t going to go, but I held onto a tiny amount of hope. I was silly enough to believe that I would get accepted even though my chances were low and I was probably not one of the most qualified.
I cried for months. Almost every single day. A lot of the tears were because I didn’t get accepted but since I was kind of prepared for that, most of the tears were because I didn’t have a plan. I had nothing. I had a Bachelor’s degree and I worked at a coffee shop, the same coffee shop I worked at for 4 years.
My friends all had plans, were all moving away, and I was stuck doing nothing. It was a very sad time in my life. Everyone around me knew how devastated I was. The words grad school would make me well up in tears.
I told everyone I would apply the next year. And so I applied the next year to the very same programs. The ones that only let in 3-5 students per year. I still didn’t apply to simply graduate schools, I only applied to those with a doctorate program built in. And again, I knew I wouldn’t be accepted.
The second time around had no tears. I was over it. A friend said that it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I wouldn’t have all those thousands of dollars of debt. It really was the best thing that could have happened to me. I just didn’t know it yet.
A few days ago an old coworker who knew my original plan said “Did you get into school?” and I simply said “No that’s not my path any more”
For the first time in 4 years I didn’t feel like crying.
She was a co-worker that always pushed me to go to graduate school. She always told me that I was more than the life I’m living. I began to write my book in secret 3 years ago. I so badly wanted to tell her about it, but I didn’t. But 3 years ago when I started writing I promised myself that when my book came out she would be one of the first people I gave it to. I would walk up to her and say “I didn’t get into graduate school, but I wrote this book instead.” And I still will get to walk up to her and say that. Maybe not now and maybe not next year. But I will tell her.
I think there will be a day when I set out to get my book published and I will be rejected, and there will be an abundance of tears. However, the difference is I will fight until it is published one way or another. I will not say I’ll try again next year, I will say I will try again tomorrow, and the next day after that. My tears will be sad but they will be filled with determination.
Is there something in your life that makes you cry? Did you miss a goal of yours only to realize that there was something more for you?
I’m not sure exactly what you’re going through only that one day the crying will stop. You will be less hurt later on than you are right now. I thought I would never get over graduate school. But it is liberating to not cry any more over something that happened 4 years ago.
Don’t be like me. Don’t wait 4 years to stop crying. Change now, go for it now. Stop crying now. Sure you’ll cry every now and again but maybe you’ll cry less than you used to.
Keep Rolling On and find the new path in life that makes you stop crying.
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First Year Anniversary
Yesterday, September 15th marked the first post on The Wheels of Grace. We have each learned so much in the past year. We have grown as individuals and as a team.We wanted to take a look back at the past year and reflect on how far we have come.
Our very first posts by Ashley, Sergio, and Norah give an introduction to us as individuals.
A few posts about living with a wheelchair.
- Raised with a Wheelchair
- When the Wheels Hit the Snow
- The Chair
- Reason’s I’m Thankful I’m in a Wheelchair
- I am Sergio’s Wife
- Impacting a Life
- Wheelchair Down the Stairs
- Can Wheelchair Climb Mountains?
- Uncommon Common
Sergio and Norah shared their adoption story at the banquet for A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center, and we created our first Youtube Video.
We wrote a few adoption posts, and as Orphan Sunday is approaching we will be sharing more adoption stories.
A few cool things that happened
Wise words by Sergio
- Life’s Highway
- Back to School
- One Sided Coin
- Image of Me
- 5 Ways to Show Love
- How Much Do you Love Me?
Norah’s reflections
- I Bleed Orange and Blue
- Facing the Incline
- Reflect Don’t Regret
- My Strength is in Him
- Why it’s Important to Retreat
- Communication Through Prayer
Ashley’s thoughts
October is Sergio and Norah’s anniversary and last year they celebrated 20 years of marriage and renewed their wedding vows!
We cannot wait to see what this next year brings us. We are excited to continue to share our journey.
Keep Rolling On!
Tribe Conference
How long does it take to build a dream?
Answer: relative, but I think the real answer is years. It takes years to build a dream. Plural. YEARS.
My dad and I went to the Tribe Conference hosted by Jeff Goins in Franklin, Tennessee this past weekend. My mom stayed home and while we were away people asked where we were. Her reply, “Building our dreams.”
I used to have this dream of getting the highest education possible. I wanted to be Ashley Espinoza Ph.D. I wanted to be a psychiatrist. When the time came to attempt to fulfill my dream I didn’t feel as passionate about them as I once did. I achieved my undergrad degree in Psychology, but when it came time to move on I just didn’t feel it any more. I applied to graduate school because it was the right thing to do. It was my dream after all. But when I dug deep down into myself, I didn’t want it any more.
I didn’t know what I wanted.
A year after graduating from college I had no plans. I moved back to my hometown and I was lost. Then something magical happened. My mom and dad shared their story with an audience. Their audience was receptive to what they had to say and they realized it was their time to fulfill their own dreams. Their dreams were to share their story in any way that they could. They wanted to get up on stage and speak. The wanted to sit down a write a book. They knew they could speak because they proved that. They weren’t sure how to write a book or how to make this dream happen.
They asked me to help. That very next day I made plans to write their book. I sat each of them down and began the interview process. For two years I wrote, and wrote, and wrote. I then realized I shouldn’t be writing in secret I needed to share our plans. I started this blog and the first week of Sept 2014 our first blog post was published. It has been a year since that day and I am proud of all three of us for going after our dreams.
We went to this conference to gain ideas about achieving our goal. We went to hear people inspire us by telling us that they were once in our place. They once had a dream and after years of hard work they fulfilled this dream. YEARS, it takes years.
We are in year 3 of building our dream and we still have years to go, but we are getting there. I can feel it.
I wanted to put into words how I felt about the conference how amazing it was, this is the best I can do and that does not do it justice.
Tribe Writer Conference:
I reach into my bag and pull out my pen and notebook. Immediately I get a notebook compliment. I know I am home based on that alone. I am surrounded by people who get me. The kind of people who care about what kind of notebook they write their notes on. The kind of people who are particular about their pens.
I am surrounded by people who listen. As writers we have the ability to listen properly. No idea is too wild or too crazy. People can say one sentence that will change my world. My notebook that receives compliments is filled with quotes. It is filled with book recommendations, filled with ideas for the book I am writing.
I have always been an introvert but at this writing conference I am an extrovert. I go out of my way to talk to as many people as possible. I am not shy for once in my life. I give others book recommendations. I talk about book characters as if they are real life people and no one is bored with my chatter.
When asked what I am writing I speak about it freely. I don’t have the desire to hide my thoughts or feel insecure about my work because the people I am speaking to get it, they understand.
I listen to the speakers and nod my head in agreement at every word they say. I am in awe of them. I go out of my way to talk to them during breaks. They are approachable and I’m not afraid or nervous. I am at home. They are all my people. They are my tribe.
At the end of it all I say the words I’ve been afraid to say after three years “I am a writer”
I am a writer and now my dream is to be Ashley Espinoza Author of ……..
What is your dream? Are you willing to build it for years? This is a quote I found on instagram about finding our dream and nothing could be more true than this.
Share with me your dream knowing that it will not be instantaneous. Tell me your 3 year plan of how you will go about achieving it.
Keep Rolling On
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Our Adoption Story
Our adoption story
We wanted to share with you our adoption story. We have a video of Sergio and Norah speaking at the banquet for A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center. This short video shows parts of their story as a couple and how they came into adoption. We hope to be able to have more opportunities to speak again and share this story live. Here is a little insight to our story and our lives. This is how we became a family and making the uncommon common.
