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this is really more of a story
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about a time when determination
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grit all those things came into play and
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um and it just saw me through a super
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so it's called three words: courage
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dedication and determination
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on a certain day in a certain year my
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eyes opened in the stillness of the yet
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dark morning i lay in my bed covers
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pulled up under my chin i was listening
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it was quiet quiet was something to be
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thankful for there was three small
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bodies sleeping peacefully in their own
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rooms in their own beds and the dog was
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sleeping at the floor on the floor at
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the foot of my bed i closed my eyes
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hoping the sun would sleep for just a
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there's a quote that says "Courage is
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being scared to death and saddling up."
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Anyway a man named Marian Robert
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Morrison made that quote famous he was
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later called John Wayne
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i was feeling anything but courageous
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that day and not that any and not that
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that was any different from any other
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day in the past year except this was
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going to take a prayer and a strong
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tailwind to get me to work on an empty
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tank of gas in my old Suburban
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i was going to have to put on a smile
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when I wanted to cry and get my babies
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go on about my day and face the
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challenges of a newly single mom fresh
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from an abusive relationship and it was
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going to take courage
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i dedicated myself to an early morning
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routine that included the decision that
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I was going to be the that it was going
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to be the best day it could be as
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setting the bar kind of low
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i lowered my covers and slipped out of
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bed the sun glancing above the horizon i
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slipped into some jeans and a t-shirt
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went downstairs to start breakfast and
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before the crew tumbled out of their
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beds I dedicated myself to making their
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morning bright with a smile words of
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encouragement for the day ahead and
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loaded them on the bus climbed in my
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truck courage and dedication came with a
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certain amount of fear as a side dish
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m I was determined to give my little
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family a good happy life with adventures
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and opportunities we tasted all the
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sweetness that youth had to offer and
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there were some bitter tears our fun was
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all of the richness that cost no dollars
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we hung our own art on the wall and we
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sang songs of our souls my kids had no
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idea we weren't wealthy because we were
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in a certain year my dedication with a
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dose of determination a lot of courage
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and guided by faith led me to a place
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where I could feel safe in my body these
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three little souls helped me hold true
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to my course they didn't carry my load
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but they sure eased the burden the
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sweetness in their faces the innocence
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in their eyes doubled and redoubled my
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determination to succeed
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maybe I'm not what someone would call a
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success i don't care i know the mountain
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I climbed and the monsters I faced on
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the way and with a little courage
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dedication and most of all determination
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i love that i'm so proud of you um thank
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you it sounds like Yeah i Michael just
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wrote it's not determination with love
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it sounds like you were determined but
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also motivated by the love for your
