Meet April, a retired Navy Senior Chief who served in the military for 27 years. She continues to serve her country by supporting and loving on its veterans. April is a ‘professional hugger’ with Honor Flight Historic Triangle Virginia (ok that’s not her official title, but it might as well be 😉 ) and is active in the local WAVES community (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service…info: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75662). Like she says below, she doesn’t know a stranger. You feel like family the moment you meet her!

Age: 51

What you do: If I tell you I’d have to kill you – so I volunteer…..A LOT!

Family:

most amazing hubby – who happens to be a Teacher, 8th grade – Stan the Man

Stazy – almost 16 – a teen – a brain – and uses sarcasm with a perfect smile.

Samantha – 27 – hard worker whose work ethic is above reproach. Am very proud of them both.

MO – my daughter in law – she is fun, down to earth – and keeps my daughter happy. I’m happy also!!!!!!

Furry family members: Ace is my big, blond, grand-dog….did I mention he is blond?????

 

What do you love about yourself?

I don’t know a stranger – it is my dad’s fault – but it has helped me get veterans on our Honor Flight buses!!!!!!!!

If it were possible for someone to be YOU for a day, what would you want them to experience & understand in order to really ‘get’ who you are?

To smell an old book and feel the joy I feel reading some of the words in that book – then having a young Sailor read from my Navy old, real old books, and see that the meaning of what they read – is STILL THE SAME, even 100 years later.  I love the A-HA moment – making the STORY of History FUN – not boring.

What is/are your biggest fear(s)?

That I don’t out-live my money and my kids pick my nursing home.

Ok, ok…….Finding out that I did not set my girls up for success – I don’t want to live their lives – but I want them to do better than us – and I do fear some days (NOT EVERY DAY) I did not put my foot up a bum far enough……did I TEACH the right thing, did I SHOW the right thing, did I SHOW the right example?

What’s your greatest struggle?

ALLOWING my kids to fully be themselves – not what I envisioned for them. So there are quite a few times I sit on my hands so I don’t stick BOTH feet in my mouth. Except to tell the world how proud I am of ALL 3 OF THEM……grand dog….still learning – but SO PROUD of my kids!!!!!!!

What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

I share our Navy history by looking for the story, so if I can open that door in someone’s mind to EXPLORE the story, I would be thrilled with that.

Remembered…..that is tough – I’m the ole lady with old stuff and a story and I have an AMAZING FAMILY: blood, Navy, and Honor Flight.

What are you most grateful for?

WAY TOO MANY THINGS

What is the best advice you were ever given?

From my mom….no matter how big your paycheck is….PAY YOURSELF FIRST, put it away, do not touch it – YOU earned this money, so PAY YOURSELF.

If you could speak to a large group of women, what would you say to them?

“Well HELLO!!!!!!!!!”

I do talks about WAVES history with many commands in the area, so I do speak to large groups of women – and SHARE where we came from in our wonderful Navy History…..with Stories…..I love Stories!!!!!!