scoliosis
When I think of my grand niece, Raelynn Masterson, the picture that comes to mind is that of a tiny little girl of maybe 6 or 7, but Raelynn is no longer that little girl, because today is her sweet 16th birthday. I’m sure that the idea of their daughter turning 16 is even harder for her parents, Rob and Dustie Masterson, and yet, like it or not, that iconic day has arrived.
I think we all know what the 16th birthday means…driving. I’m not sure if they will get her license today, but I’m sure that it won’t be very long. Driving is the most important part of turning 16, after all. It’s the day we no longer have to depend on someone else get us where we need to go. Another plus is that once she has her license, Raelynn can help her parents with transporting her younger siblings, Matt and Anna. It will be fun for all of them.
Raelynn is a good student, who likes school, and does well in her studies. She is a quiet girl, who tends to focus on what she is doing. She has a soft heart, especially when it comes to animals, and her grandma’s cat has often been the recipient of her kind caresses. That cat loves Raelynn. She is also much loved by her siblings. Don’t get me wrong. Like all siblings, they have their fights, but when it comes down to need, those kids are there for each other. When Raelynn had to have back surgery to correct Scoliosis, her siblings were very good to her. They wanted to help her to get well quickly and their help did not go unnoticed by their sister. She will always be grateful to them.
It’s so hard to believe that Raelynn is now old enough to drive. Before long, I suppose she will have a job and 
will be out doing her own things and making her own money. Raelynn is a pretty responsible girl. I think she will be a good driver, and a good employee, but I still can’t resist warning the general public…”Stay off the sidewalks…new driver on the roads!” Today is Raelynn’s sweet 16th birthday. Happy birthday Raelynn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand-niece, Raelynn Masterson is growing up so fast that I find myself feeling stunned, so I can only imagine how her parents feel. She will be starting high school this year, and she is hoping to get into drivers education and computer art. The drivers education class makes sense, because what 15 year old doesn’t want to learn to drive, but the computer art class surprised me a little, because I didn’t realize that she was the artsy type, although I should have, because when I think about it, her nature is to be more quiet…a gentle soul. She is beginning to really think about higher education and considering options beyond art. Her mom thinks she would make an amazing vet. She does so well with any animal she comes into contact with. Her mom thinks it is her quiet demeanor that makes the animals love her. I know that her grandma, Cheryl Masterson’s dog and cat loves Raelynn, so being a vet could be a really good option. 
Raelynn is hoping to be able to find a job soon, because what girl doesn’t need spending money, but Raelynn really isn’t a fussy, prissy type, but she is a beautiful girl. Raelynn has always been a fairly quiet, happy girl, with a quirky side. She loves everyone in her life and always has a big smile and a hug for all of them.
A year ago, Raelynn has surgery to correct scoliosis. It is amazing that it has been a year already. To this day it is hard for her parents to let her get back to her normal activities. After a major surgery, it can be nerve wracking to let go. Her mom told me that she has issues letting her do things that may jar her back. They went to 
Thermopolis this year and she wanted to go down the sides and jump off the high dive. Mom was completely against it, so Dad called her surgeon and he said that she would be fine. Mom lost on that one, and she did go down the high dive. Raelynn was a little unsure of it, and it took her going up and coming down once but she jumped off and she was fine. Her parents told me that they were so proud of her. She was facing a legitimately fear of heights, but she did it. When the fair came, they found that it was a little easier to let her ride the things she wanted to ride, and be a kid. She faces her fears and goes forward. It is a show of bravery and courage. Her strength of character is well in tact and her faith in God unbelievable. Today is Raelynn’s 15th birthday. Happy birthday Raelynn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand niece, Raelynn Masterson is a sweet girl who looks a lot like her mom, my niece, Dustie Masterson. They are really very much alike in lots of ways. They both love music, and Dustie tells me that it isn’t just one kind of music that Raelynn likes…it’s all kinds of music. I think it is a sign of a true music lover, to love all genres of music, because it doesn’t seem to be the music style that attracts them, but rather each tone on its own and the melody it produces when mixed with other tones.
There is a big part of Raelynn that reminds me of me too. Where do I begin? Raelynn loves to write stories…sound familiar to anyone? This seems to be a pastime that Raelynn and her peers are all into these days. She love reading their stories, and they love reading hers. Her stories are further enhanced with her own anime drawings to help tell the story. Now this is where we very much differ, because I cannot draw, so my stories are accompanied by photos. Her mom says that while she doesn’t pretend to understand Raelynn’s love of anime, she can easily see the beauty of her drawings, and the beauty in the stories that accompany the drawings. Another way in which Raelynn reminds me of me is that she loves police procedural shows like Bones and Criminal Minds. I love those shows too, as well as NCIS and CSI, which I’m sure she likes as well. I think it 
might be the scientist that lives in both of us. We may not be trained scientists, but we really appreciate the scientific procedures and their outcomes. We are both utter geeks. Raelynn learned a Viking game that is a cross between Chess and Tic-Tac-Toe. She recently learned to play at the Science Museum in Denver and the lady that taught her said she did very well…more of the geek I think.
I think most women, especially have the ability to multi-task, but some do it much better that others. When Dustie told me (and I’ve seen it for myself when I’ve been at her house) that Raelynn is an exceptional multi-tasker, it was like someone took a picture of me in the evenings when I’m not on a walk. Raelynn loves to do all these things…reading, writing, drawing, police procedural shows…and she does them at the same time…and doesn’t miss a beat on any one of them. That is the mark of a true multi-tasker, and I find that exceptional!! Raelynn and I both love cats…seriously, is this girl related to me or what? If you need to find the family cat, Lewie inside the house, just find Raelynn, because she is Lewie’s human…and that’s all there is too it. Lewie doesn’t really like the family dog, Missy, and so his favorite place to be in the whole world is with his human. He loves to lay beside her, and she in kind pets him and makes him feel safe and loved.
Recently, Raelynn proved what a strong person she is, when she went through a life changing surgery for scoliosis. Raelynn’s life thus far has been spent with limited mobility and much pain, and yet, she never 
complained. She had to tell her friends sometimes, that she couldn’t do certain things, because if she bent over, as if to touch her toes, you could see that her spine was near her shoulder blade, and it caused her great pain. Nevertheless, she wasn’t a whiner…or a quitter. She pursued her dreams with a gusto, often ignoring the pain to do the things she wanted to do. She wore a back brace for years and while it really limited movement, she didn’t complain. Now, post surgery, she is healing quickly and is off of all prescription pain meds. She is a shining example of what God can do, if you allow Him to. She is a God-given blessing to her parents, and indeed her whole family. Today, Raelynn turns 14 years old. She is growing into a beautiful young woman. Happy birthday Raelynn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
