MY BEGINNING

Janie Louise (Cali) Miller Minich is my name. I came into this world with physical and emotional disabilities. Poor eyesight, dyslexia and bipolar disorder made life very challenging. On top of that, I wasn’t tested for any of those handicaps until later in life, so it was a long time before I understood those challenges and how to overcome them. Nonetheless, my childhood consisted of two loving parents, two sets of caring and supportive grandparents, and three sisters.Karen was born when I was two and a half; Carol, when I was four; and Corrie, a week after I turned eighteen on August 29,1975.

My parents brought her home from the hospital on my firstday of college. After Karen’s arrival, when I was two years old, I desperately needed more attention from my parents than I received. I became intensely jealous of her. My Aunt Jan remembers walking into the room, where I was bent down in Karen’s crib. She said “Janie Louise, what are you doing?” I replied, “I’m trying to bite this baby’s toe.” My family saw more than a little humor in my reply!