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The five year old Boston lass tumbles as she comes up short trying to catch a fly ball. Two years later she is outfitted with glasses to correct her near-sightedness. A thirty-five year old long distance trucker stops driving after being in a major accident. Although he did not cause it and was not seriously injured, he cannot bring himself to get behind the wheel again. Images of road carnage, body parts, blood and bone, have had a visceral impact on his emotional stability. With counseling and family support he is making progress. He has started visiting a teenage, male paraplegic whom he had pulled out of the wreckage. Maybe a little ‘survivor guilt’ lurks in his subconscious. Perhaps he just cares. You face challenges every day, some not of your choosing. You decide how to deal with them: opt for safety and comfort or maybe risk and take action. Yes, sometimes it is not easy. Your body is assaulted daily. The most insidious you cannot even see. Not very fair. But why rail against the inevitable. “Sh** happens.” Know there is always recourse. You can always improve a situation.
So, a little advice: Work with what you have.
Use your unique abilities and encourage others to do the same.
Life is very short. Why mope around and let the days fly by
without participating. For ultimately it is the ‘you’ inside
that is important. Gaze at the flowers, the birds, the sky.
Listen to the music. Smile often. Get in the habit of
appreciating the positive: The beauty, camaraderie,
accomplishment. No matter what comes your way you can always
accept the worst of it. Experience is your teacher. Learn from
it and build a better you. “What does not destroy you can only
make you stronger.” Know that you are the only ‘you’ in the
universe. You have the great gift of life. Make the most of it
and have confidence that your commitments, your love and hope
will see you through. Hey, what’s the alternative??
RETURN TO HANDICAP DEFINITIONS
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