Stacey McGill-Thomas:
"Veronica!" Stacey Mc Gill-Thomas ordered "We need the new line of spring skirts out here!" Stacey rushed from one end of the store to another carrying an armload of khaki pants. "Make sure you display lots of the lilac..." she added over her shoulder. Stacey was working in her Manhattan-based boutique, Fresh. She was the owner, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect with the new spring line. Now, with only a half hour until the store opened, she was dashing around like a madwoman trying to get everything in place.
Stacey was a bit of a workaholic, just like her father had been. She arrived early in the morning to stock the shelves, and stayed late into the night, deciding what to order. Stacey set down the khakis and looked around. She sighed, then yelled "Where are the new silk camisoles?" It wasn't really Stacey's fault that she invested so much time and effort in her store, she loved it. Besides, it was her whole life, partially for matters beyond her control....
Academically, life had always been rather easy for Stacey. She graduated from Parker Academy as valedictorian of her senior class, and went to New York University on a math scholarship. She breezed through her undergraduate classes. Socially, however, Stacey always felt insecure, particularly because of her diabetes. Of course her boyfriend, Sam Thomas, was supportive of her, but Stacey worried about the future. Up until her sophomore year in college, she had never learned to drive. She told everyone the reason was that cars were unnecessary in Manhattan, but that wasn't the entire truth. Stacey was afraid. She was afraid that she would have an accident- she would have an insulin reaction and would hit someone, that she would pass out at the wheel. But what if she
ever moved out of the city? She would need to learn to drive then. But she just couldn't. She felt sick to her stomach every time she even THOUGHT about learning to drive. Stacey also worried about her life. Would she go blind by age 40? Lose a leg by age 60? Stacey knew that complications, no matter how well controlled your disease was, were a possibility. Frankly, thinking about the future gave Stacey a headache.
Stacey continued living like this, until one day, she confided her fears in Sam.
"Sweetie," he began gently "It worries me that you think this way. It isn't normal for some one your age to have such fears... maybe you'd feel better if you spoke to someone, like a therapist." Immediately, Stacey was angry. "I knew I shouldn't have told you!" she yelled, "I'm NOT crazy!" But later, Sam's words began to sink in- Not Normal, Talk to someone... Maybe it WOULD make her feel better to talk to someone. She decided to try it. Stacey went to the counseling center at her school, and was referred to a psychologist who specialized in anxieties. Eventually, she was also referred to a psychiatrist who gave her some medication to take the edge off. Slowly, Stacey's treatments began to work. Stacey saw the world in a way she never had before- a world where she didn't feel inhibited by her fears.
When Stacey was a junior at NYU, her life was going much better. She wasn't so worried about her life anymore, and she was enjoying school in a new way. One evening, Stacey and Sam went out dinner. When the dessert course came around, Stacey noticed a shiny object peeking out of her cheesecake- it was a ring! She looked over to Sam, and saw him on the ground, resting on one knee. "Stacey will you..." Stacey didn't even hear Sam finished. She was too busy sobbing and whispering "Yes... Yes..." Sam and Stacey were married the following summer. While Stacey finished up her business degree at NYU, Sam worked at a small accounting firm to support the two of them. Sam and Stacey were finally happy, but their problems were far from over.
Five years later, Sam was still working at the accounting firm and Stacey was working as a buyer at a local department store. The couple was also considering trying to conceive. Stacey knew as a diabetic woman, she would have to be careful, so she scheduled an appointment with her Diabetes Specialist. Unfortunately, the doctor had bad news for Stacey and Sam: because Stacey was a brittle Diabetic, it would be very difficult to control her disease amidst the hormone changes of pregnancy. What did that mean for Stacey? If she were to become pregnant there was about a 50% chance of miscarriage and 70-80% chance of birth defects. So Stacey and Sam decided it was not worth risking Stacey and the baby's health, and Stacey decided to have her tubes tied. This had a devastating effect on Stacey. She grew immensely depressed, and didn't want to leave her house. Finally, Stacey went back to a psychiatrist and was put on an anti-depressant. This, combined with psychotherapy, helped
Stacey slowly regain her life.
When Stacey was 29 years old, she decided she was sick of working as a buyer. Her mother had recently passed away, leaving Stacey a large inheritance, as well as ownership rights to her boutique in Stoneybrook. Stacey used the money to open a branch of the boutique, called "Fresh" in Manhattan. After only a year, both stores were a huge success. While Stacey still felt heartbroken being unable to have children, seeking help aided her in gaining perspective- she was loved by Sam, and she was a successful. She loved her job so much, she decided to put all she had into it. Sam eventually quit his job to help Stacey manage the two branches of "Fresh" . While their lives weren't perfect, they were happy, and felt lucky for what they had.
As Stacey adjusted the final mannequin in the window of Fresh, she looked out on the busy SoHo street. The day was warm, and sunny. A cheerful old woman walking her dog waved at Stacey as she passed. At that moment, Stacey felt lucky to have her problems under control. She began to hum to herself-"What a wonderful world." For Stacey, it was a wonderful because she had made it that way. She had taken her life into HER control and made it beautiful.
"Veronica!" Stacey Mc Gill-Thomas ordered "We need the new line of spring skirts out here!" Stacey rushed from one end of the store to another carrying an armload of khaki pants. "Make sure you display lots of the lilac..." she added over her shoulder. Stacey was working in her Manhattan-based boutique, Fresh. She was the owner, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect with the new spring line. Now, with only a half hour until the store opened, she was dashing around like a madwoman trying to get everything in place.
Stacey was a bit of a workaholic, just like her father had been. She arrived early in the morning to stock the shelves, and stayed late into the night, deciding what to order. Stacey set down the khakis and looked around. She sighed, then yelled "Where are the new silk camisoles?" It wasn't really Stacey's fault that she invested so much time and effort in her store, she loved it. Besides, it was her whole life, partially for matters beyond her control....
Academically, life had always been rather easy for Stacey. She graduated from Parker Academy as valedictorian of her senior class, and went to New York University on a math scholarship. She breezed through her undergraduate classes. Socially, however, Stacey always felt insecure, particularly because of her diabetes. Of course her boyfriend, Sam Thomas, was supportive of her, but Stacey worried about the future. Up until her sophomore year in college, she had never learned to drive. She told everyone the reason was that cars were unnecessary in Manhattan, but that wasn't the entire truth. Stacey was afraid. She was afraid that she would have an accident- she would have an insulin reaction and would hit someone, that she would pass out at the wheel. But what if she
ever moved out of the city? She would need to learn to drive then. But she just couldn't. She felt sick to her stomach every time she even THOUGHT about learning to drive. Stacey also worried about her life. Would she go blind by age 40? Lose a leg by age 60? Stacey knew that complications, no matter how well controlled your disease was, were a possibility. Frankly, thinking about the future gave Stacey a headache.
Stacey continued living like this, until one day, she confided her fears in Sam.
"Sweetie," he began gently "It worries me that you think this way. It isn't normal for some one your age to have such fears... maybe you'd feel better if you spoke to someone, like a therapist." Immediately, Stacey was angry. "I knew I shouldn't have told you!" she yelled, "I'm NOT crazy!" But later, Sam's words began to sink in- Not Normal, Talk to someone... Maybe it WOULD make her feel better to talk to someone. She decided to try it. Stacey went to the counseling center at her school, and was referred to a psychologist who specialized in anxieties. Eventually, she was also referred to a psychiatrist who gave her some medication to take the edge off. Slowly, Stacey's treatments began to work. Stacey saw the world in a way she never had before- a world where she didn't feel inhibited by her fears.
When Stacey was a junior at NYU, her life was going much better. She wasn't so worried about her life anymore, and she was enjoying school in a new way. One evening, Stacey and Sam went out dinner. When the dessert course came around, Stacey noticed a shiny object peeking out of her cheesecake- it was a ring! She looked over to Sam, and saw him on the ground, resting on one knee. "Stacey will you..." Stacey didn't even hear Sam finished. She was too busy sobbing and whispering "Yes... Yes..." Sam and Stacey were married the following summer. While Stacey finished up her business degree at NYU, Sam worked at a small accounting firm to support the two of them. Sam and Stacey were finally happy, but their problems were far from over.
Five years later, Sam was still working at the accounting firm and Stacey was working as a buyer at a local department store. The couple was also considering trying to conceive. Stacey knew as a diabetic woman, she would have to be careful, so she scheduled an appointment with her Diabetes Specialist. Unfortunately, the doctor had bad news for Stacey and Sam: because Stacey was a brittle Diabetic, it would be very difficult to control her disease amidst the hormone changes of pregnancy. What did that mean for Stacey? If she were to become pregnant there was about a 50% chance of miscarriage and 70-80% chance of birth defects. So Stacey and Sam decided it was not worth risking Stacey and the baby's health, and Stacey decided to have her tubes tied. This had a devastating effect on Stacey. She grew immensely depressed, and didn't want to leave her house. Finally, Stacey went back to a psychiatrist and was put on an anti-depressant. This, combined with psychotherapy, helped
Stacey slowly regain her life.
When Stacey was 29 years old, she decided she was sick of working as a buyer. Her mother had recently passed away, leaving Stacey a large inheritance, as well as ownership rights to her boutique in Stoneybrook. Stacey used the money to open a branch of the boutique, called "Fresh" in Manhattan. After only a year, both stores were a huge success. While Stacey still felt heartbroken being unable to have children, seeking help aided her in gaining perspective- she was loved by Sam, and she was a successful. She loved her job so much, she decided to put all she had into it. Sam eventually quit his job to help Stacey manage the two branches of "Fresh" . While their lives weren't perfect, they were happy, and felt lucky for what they had.
As Stacey adjusted the final mannequin in the window of Fresh, she looked out on the busy SoHo street. The day was warm, and sunny. A cheerful old woman walking her dog waved at Stacey as she passed. At that moment, Stacey felt lucky to have her problems under control. She began to hum to herself-"What a wonderful world." For Stacey, it was a wonderful because she had made it that way. She had taken her life into HER control and made it beautiful.