Life
There is something to be said about the bond between a Father and a Daughter. When my Mom was pregnant my Dad’s only request was that he wanted his first child, boy or girl, to have the same initials as him, JD. Not only did he get this request but he also got a daughter who has the same spastic acts, bad luck, uncontrollable sweet tooth and amazing talent of hitting every red light en route to any destination.
My name is Jillian, Jill, Jilly, or Ladybug depending on who you ask. I am 31 years old, recently divorced and live in Central New Jersey with my parents in a 55+ Age Restricted Community. I know what you are thinking, nothing screams excitement more than being newly single in a retirement community… at 31. I consider myself extremely lucky to be in this situation if not for the entertainment factor alone.
I am the daughter to two wonderful parents, John and Linda, who always dreamed of providing nothing short of the absolute best for their kids. It is not until you are an adult yourself do you realize how much this means to parents and the sacrifices they need to make to do this. Spoiler alert, they did pretty well raising two great kids.
I have a younger brother Kenny who is my best friend and biggest supporter. We are fortunate to have such a close relationship and I am so excited that he is going to be adding Tara to our family in May. I am making out big time since I love Tara more than I love Kenny but he won’t know that until he reads this. Our parents should count their blessings since they raised two successful, competitive, hardworking and extremely good looking adults. Pat yourself on the back John and Linda, you did well.
I am a Mom to a super cool Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lucy who provides just as much entertainment to my life as my father does. Lucy has gained about 8 pounds since we moved in because every time Grandpa eats a snack, Lucy gets one too. Allegedly he can’t turn her down. I have to admit that when I get home every night from work and they are snuggling on the couch sleeping I am slightly jealous.
I work full time as a designer and project manager for a construction development company and I love every second of it. I come from a breed of hard working professionals who are not afraid of the hustle and live for the grind. I owe my work ethic to my parents who never shy away from a challenge and approach every issue head on with a kick ass attitude.
I am surrounded by a large loving family that sometimes I feel was delivered to me right out of the circus. No one else can relate… I know. Through out my stories you will read about all various stages of my life and how my Dad has created a lasting impression on everyone around him and unknowingly elevated each situation into a comedy act. Everything is unfortunately true from how he proposed to my Mom with a “drop the ring and ditch the bitch” approach, to a long hot box ride with a hidden pile of dog poop in a pizza box during moving day. No matter the moment, John makes it a memory.
How The Ladybug Got Her Name
From the moment he laid eyes on me my Dad has been calling me Ladybug. In 31 years I have never heard him call me anything other than Ladybug. To be honest, some times I question if he knows what my real name actually is.