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Show A6 The Emery County Review, Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Motivating forces keep single parent on the move Continued from Page A1. watch TV, or anything other rather face a world designed with couples in mind. But Cindy knows something about keeping moving. She’s become an expert at it since her husband, Kip, passed away four years ago. Today the Orangeville resident keeps herself busy by being busy. She chases after her five children and at times wishes she could clone herself to be able to make it to overlapping ball games or dance recitals. And when she isn’t chasing after her own children, she can usually be found helping out with someone else’s. In Orangeville she is the youth city council advisor and she volunteers for the Junior Jazz organization. She is also the Emery High Cheer Team advisor, but admits, perhaps with a little guilt, that she is the cheer advisor for completely selfish reasons. “I do that for self fulfillment, because I have to have something to do. I used to dance. That’s just something I have always wanted to do.” Sitting on her recliner in her living room, Cindy laughs her way through much of the discussion about the frustration, fears and chaos that make up the life of a single parent. She considers her own five children, Ryan, 19; Whitney, 16; Tappan, 13; Kaden, 9; and Madison, 7; and says the most important thing for her, whether she was a single parent or not, is her conviction that her children No Excuses When you’ve been a doctor awhile, you’ve heard it all... All the excuses why women put off having a mammogram. But we still haven’t heard a good one. Having a mammogram is the best way we know to ensure your good health for years to come. come first. “I am such an advocate that you need to be with your kids for whatever they do, whether it be sporting events or a band concert. I feel you need to be there to show them your support. This is probably the first year that I have actually had to miss some of my kids’ games and have not felt totally guilty for it. To me that’s the hardest thing,” she said and then adds with a laugh, “and keeping up with the housework.” Being a single parent can at times seem much like being lost at sea with a storm brewing all around you, and the storm is most often all of the things you feel you could do, should do, would do if you had just a little more time, and perhaps a little less chaos. But most days the chaos is preferable to the calm that can drown you if you let yourself slow down enough to start thinking. “My alone time is when the kids go the bed. When you’re not busy, that’s when you start thinking. The busyness keeps you from feeling bad,” Cindy said. When asked if it works she admits that it probably doesn’t. But the guilt does, sometimes. It at least keeps your feet moving, keeps you thinking that you can and should do more. Cindy thinks that is one thing most single parents We can find the early warning signs. If there is a problem, you’ve got the best chance of beating it when it’s caught early. have in common, guilt about their children and the difficult time adjusting to old friendships. “You don’t have friends who are single parents. You really do feel like you’re in a sea by yourself. You have all of these friends and when you lose a spouse or get a divorce, they still have their spouse, they have their own world. They’re still your friends but it’s different,” Cindy said. Trying to be both a mother and a father is an impossible task, and Cindy said she has had to depend on her older children to help out far more than she has ever wanted to. “You get tired of asking other people to help you so you feel like you give all the responsibility to the older kids to take care of the younger ones. Whitney gets to the point where she says ‘don’t ask me to do that again’ because the younger ones don’t respect her,” Cindy said. Cindy’s husband, Kip, was a law enforcement officer for the Division of Wildlife Resources, and earlier this month the Draper family journeyed to Salt Lake City, where Kip’s name joined others on the memorial at the State Capital to fallen law enforcement officers. With her extended family in Bountiful, Cindy has been grateful for a tight-knit The Emery County Review Local News, Local Voice, Locally Owned SURPLUS PROPERTY SALE Digital Mammography Emery County School District Maintenance & Bus Compound 855 North 175 West, Castle Dale In Honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month 10% Discount *Must be referred by physician with coupon Digital Mammogram & Interpretation at Castleview Hospital Call 637-4800 ext. 3249 to make an appointment * Must present coupon to receive discount Valid Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2008 Courtesy of Castleview Hospital and Utah Valley Radiology The Emery County Review Emery County community that has always been willing to help out when needed. It is that community spirit that has made adjusting to the life of a single parent a little easier. That and the ability to laugh in the face of chaos. Today the Draper family is anxiously awaiting the construction of a new home in Orangeville, Kaden and Madison are anxious to explain exactly what color their bedrooms will be and what the furniture will look like, much to the amusement of their mom, who perhaps hasn’t been notified of their plans. The home will be a nice change for the family Cindy hopes as Madison and Kaden climb on her lap, fighting for attention and the chance to be read to. For Cindy the new house is more than just a home, it’s a sign that perhaps it’s time for a new beginning. “I think that’s where I am. Trying to find myself again. You have all these dreams and aspirations, but we had those dreams together and now I wonder, is that really what I wanted, or is that what we wanted? I just don’t know,” she said. But perhaps sitting in her new living room she might allow herself time enough to find out. Oprah Winfrey might even want to put together a panel on the subject. DAY: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH TIME: 9 AM – NOON The Emery County School District is offering to the general public a number of surplus items. One-of-a-kind items will be offered through silent auctions. Other items will be sold on a first come first served basis. All sales are final. All items are sold “As Is” with no warranty, refunds or returns. A partial list of the items to be offered to the public includes: • • • • • • • • • • VCR’s Computers Shelving Chairs Large Kitchen Appliances Piano Tables Miscellaneous Furniture Lunch Trays Scrap Metal • • • • • • • • • • TV’s Monitors Standing Chalk Boards Desks Industrial Steel Kitchen Equipment Books Exercise Equipment Lunch Tables Drafting Tables Old Forklifts (Need Repair) • Tires • Engine Emery County School District reserves the right to withdraw any item from the sale. Buyers must pay cash or check prior to removal of items. Sale items will be available for inspection at 8:30 on the 11th. Huntington Guest Speakers Actress Leigh Taylor-Young Author & Spiritual Director of MSIA John Morton October 10, 11 • 2008 7:00 PM • Star Theatre Huntington, Utah •Short Films •Castle Valley Funniest Home Videos Film entry deadline is October 5, 2008 All Submissions must be in DVD format Admission $2.00 |