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Hello Everyone At AdlandPro!
It’s time again for my favorite project of the week and that is the Feature of The Week! It is my favorite project because you folks and the POTW’s of the week make it a very special event. We are all so fortunate to be a part of this community that is made up of so many friendly and talented people. Thank you so much for your support and for making this event so special. Love and Blessings to you all! John R. Sanchez
Folks, LaNell will be assisting me from now on with the POTW forums and polls. She has been a great help to me and I wanted to thank her here publicly. Thank you so much LaNell!
The reason the Feature of the Week forum was created was to honor people who have a positive influence on this community. To qualify the person has to be an active member and one who contributes to the positive atmosphere here AdlandPro. Here are the criteria for selecting a member for the Feature of the Week (also referred to as the
Person of the Week, POTW). This criterion can be seen at the site below:
Criterion
How Do I Get Selected as Person of the Week?
To be chosen as Person of the week you:
• Are highly visible on the community
• Are always seen as respectful, professional, and helpful.
• Must be
nominated for the program by another member of the Community and voted on by other members.
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This week’s POTW and celebrity for a week is Luella May! Luella is another of AdlandPro’s special ladies. She is known for her warm and gracious demeanor. Luella is also a courageous lady who has survived much in her life and is using her experiences to help others make it through their’s. It’s our honor to announce Luella as this week’s POTW. Congratulations Luella, enjoy your week as a celebrity! Love and blessings to you our friend!
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Here is
Luella’s Bio:
I am very honored that I have been chosen as this week's POTW. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I never, ever thought that I would be doing internet marketing. And I surely never even fathomed that I would be Editor of the Corner or that I would have my own spot, Luella's Corner. Since August 2005, my life has taken a mavelous turn. I believe this is the one time in my life where I am truly happy.
I was born in Havana, Cuba. My mother was American and my father was Cuban. That was home for the first 10 years of my life. When Fidel Castro took over, we were one of the very first to leave, although it took us one year to go through all the red tape. We literally left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. While my mom and dad settled in New York, they dropped me with my aunt and uncle in Landisville, Pennsylvania so that I would be cared for. Actually, those six months with my aunt and uncle were wonderful. It was a reprieve from my dad. It was out in the country and I had friends and I laughed and played. I felt secure and normal. Six months later, my parents were settled and I went back to live with them. Back to hell.
As so many of my AdlandPro friends, I did not have a happy childhood. I was an only child and got all the attention. It was all bad. The only good times were when my mom and me spent time together. My dad never told me he loved me. He came close on his death bed, I think My dad had a very short fuse and I always seemed to be in the way. I always spoke at the wrong time, did the wrong thing, and just was never good enough. A severe beating was a daily occurrence. Beatings where my nose and mouth would bleed and then I would be thrown into my room to lick my wounds so to speak. Actually, my room became my haven, as I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible. My first memory is at three. At that age I made a vow that I would never treat my children unkindly and that I would always love them dearly. I lived up to that vow and whenever I had a difficult decision to make, I would always reflect on what my parents would have done and I did the complete opposite. In
Luella's Corner I have written an article about my dad entitled
“Goodbye Forever.” In spite of everything, I did love him and wanted him to be proud of me. Now that he's gone, I look back on everything with such regret. My mom, bless her heart, would just stand aside during the beatings. I never saw him beat her and I don't believe he ever did. But she endured severe mental cruelty.
By the time I was reunited with my parents in New York, I pretty much had learned to stay out of the way and keep quiet. The beatings weren't as often, but I still contended with the verbal abuse. So I waded through my adolescent and teenage years the best I could. From my very first memory at three years old, to the day I left home, I lived in fear of my dad, never knowing when the next beating would occur, or when I would trigger his uncontrollable rage. Needless to say, I married at 19 to get out of the house.
I have two lovely children, Veronica who is now 33 and Frank who is now 24. Veronica has three beautiful daughters, my lovely grandbabies, Ashley 15, Julia 13, and Lia 11. Frank is in love and I have a feeling that within a year there will be a wedding and I will gain a daughter-in-law.
I worked throughout my life and was the sole breadwinner much of the time. My husband was an alcoholic and a gambler, and I was an enabler. I did learn to open up my own bank account after the second gambling bout. He wasn't a happy alcoholic. Many a night he would go into violent rages and I would pray that he would finally just pass out so I could have some peace. When he wasn't drinking, he was charming, loving, and caring. He had a heart of gold and would help anyone in need. And yes, I lived in fear there too, never knowing when he would need that drink to feel better and all hell would break loose. Alcoholism, I believe, took its toll when he died suddenly of a massive heart attack one morning just upon awakening.
Needless to say, three months after my son Frank was born, I had my very first panic attack. I thought I was having a heart attack or possible stroke. Out of nowhere it came. Then more, and more, until I was enduring three full blown panic attacks a day. I became Agoraphobic. This was January 1982. I went two years living in hell, going from doctor to doctor undiagnosed. I lost my friends. Little by little I withdrew more and more. I became fearful of going to the store, driving, and eventually just going out. A trip to the mailbox was a major feat. Then one day, I had a full blown panic attack at home, which is extremely unusual. Veronica became frightened and ran to a neighbor for help. At that very moment it seemed like I hit bottom, but when you hit bottom, there's no other way but up, and that was about to happen. In her fear, Veronica brought a perfect stranger into our home. She took one look at me and said, “I know what you have, a friend of mine has the same thing.” She gave me the name of a doctor and that was the beginning of my recovery.
In those days they did not have the medication that is available today and it was a hard road to recovery. I had to learn to to live all over again. I had to learn how to go to the store, how to drive, all in all, how to live again. Little by little I worked on these things, sometimes terrified. The most important thing I had to do was learn to accept and love myself for who and what I was. Even while sick. I had to relearn my thinking. I learned how to be positive. This was a very long and painful process. It took eight years for my recovery.
I went back to work and my children grew up. Life went on day by day. Then, on February 20, 2001, my dad passed away. I flew to Florida and brought my mom home to live with me. I was determined that after living with my dad for 55 years, I would devote my life to making her as happy as possible. This is another article in Luella's Corner that I would invite you to read.
“My Mother, My Angel” I cared for her for four years, as she slowly lost her health. Actually, those were very happy years for me. On July 29, 2005, my mom passed away. She had a massive heart attack. But I have my sweet memories of those wonderful years we had together.
When I was in complete despair, a new door appeared in front of me and I opened it. It was the wonderful world of AdlandPro. My daughter introduced me to a free site and said, “Mom, see what you can do with this.” One thing led to another and I met Fredie McKinney who introduced me to FGG. Through Fredie's guidance, I became proficient with that site and how we celebrated when I got my first person! From then things just kept on rolling. I have met many wonderful friends, many with my same background and we have bonded. Friends, that I will cherish forever. Through my love for poetry, I met John Elliott, who I consider to be the greatest talent in the world. He is now my mentor my most cherished friend. He has stood by me through thick and thin and even though he was half a world away, he stood by me and encouraged me while I was in the hospital gravely ill with pneumonia. I am most honored to be working with him at The Corner.
So this is my story up to now. A brand new life has opened for me. I am happy and fulfilled. And it is really all because of AdlandPro. Thank you Bogdan for your hard work in creating this wonderful community. Not only have you built a masterpiece but you have touched so many lives. You have certainly touched mine.
Luella May
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Folks, now that you’ve had a chance to see for yourself why Luella is this week’s POTW why don’t you take some time to invite her to be your friend and to praise her for hard work. We love you Luella, keep up the good work!
Love and blessings to you all! :-)
John Sanchez and
LaNell
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