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Some people just amaze me….
It’s shocking…really.
It was back in the 1940’s. It was a different time back then. There was a little baby boy born unto this world. He was delivered in his home, like many were back then, but it was just too soon. He was about 2-3 months pre-mature. At that time, survival rates were pretty low for babies born this early. So, when the boy’s mom looked at her doctor and said, “What do I do?”; he told her to warm up the stove and keep her sweet boy on the lid (like an incubator) until he passed away. Because the doctor was certain, in that moment, that this child wouldn’t survive…there was just no way.
But the boy ended up surviving the night, and then the night after that, and again, the next night too. And his mom realized her boy was in fact going to live, despite what the doctor predicted. It seemed like a miracle.
Yet even then, the doctor still wasn’t so hopeful. He informed the baby’s mother that even though he lived, he would never actually get to live a “normal” life. Because you see, with this young boy’s prematurity and diagnosis of cerebral palsy, the doctor was certain he would never learn to walk or talk. He was sure that this boy would never live on his own or be able to hold down a job. It just wasn’t possible with his disability.
And so time went on and the boy’s mother just assumed that this was her son’s fate. Until about the age three…
At that time, this little child was still not walking, just as the doctor predicted. But his mother noticed something that made her question it all. She noticed that he could easily move his legs. So, she asked the doctor, yet again, why they couldn’t work with him to get him walking. And in that moment, you won’t believe what this doctor told her. He told her that she should just be grateful for the other six healthy children she had and that she should just get over it. She should just put the young boy in a nursing home. The doctor reminded her again that it was a certainty that he would never live a “normal” life and that she needed to move on.
And that is when everything changed….
Now maybe it was the mom’s relentless ability to never give up. Maybe it was the boy’s unbelievable determination that he learned from his mother. Or maybe they both just wanted to prove this doctor wrong. Who knows?!?
Nonetheless, here is how this young man’s story plays out…and its shocking…really.
Not only did the young child learn to walk and talk, but he also went to school. He went all the way through Sophomore year until they moved. He would have gone even further, but the new school didn’t have a handicap program available for him. (Remember, this was in the 1950’s where many didn’t even attend high school.)
As he grew into a young man, he got a job and worked in maintenance for the next 38 years. He was the longest working employee at his place of employment! He lived with his mom where they took care of each other until she passed. And then he bought a different house, moved, and lived on his own for many years to come.
As an older man, when he was ready to retire, he went to apply for his well-earned social security benefits. They informed him he could have collected these benefits over 60 years ago with his disability. But oh boy, don’t ever tell him he is disabled! Because he knows that it’s not true. He doesn’t feel disabled because like he always says, “I am more than capable to work.”
And to think his story all started with his childhood doctor telling his mother to just keep him warm from the stove until he passed away…
It’s shocking…really.
So, what did I learn from this incredible man’s story? What can you learn from the way he chose to live his life? I hope his story can put some things into prospective for you…just like it did for me. This man had so much to overcome to actually live the normal life that we all so easily take for granted.
So, let me ask you — How many times do you catch yourself complaining about the small things in life? How often do you take your health for granted? Do you ever feel down because you are certain you drew the unlucky card and life has been nothing but an uphill battle for you?
If so, then let this man’s story be a reminder to you…to all of us. Let it remind us that we need to be relentless in our efforts to overcome all the obstacles that come our way (because they will). We need to remember to never quit…to NEVER give up…even when the road ahead feels daunting (because it does sometimes). And most importantly, we need to remember that life isn’t always meant to be picture perfect. So, choose to be the person who overcomes it anyway. Choose to inspire this world. Choose to be like this incredible man… because like I said, his story just amazes me and well the whole thing…it’s shocking…really.
Xoxo
Marsha
*For those of you struggling with something in life or have a topic of interest that you want me to talk about in this blog, email me at BeYourBestSelfBlog@gmail.com. Let’s work together to Be Our Best Selves!
Photo Credit Photo by cottonbro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-shocked-woman-with-pink-lashes-looking-at-the-camera-6962010/