Do you ever meet someone and think to yourself, there is something different about them? This is what I thought one Sunday morning as I ate my breakfast, and I shared a meal with a very exceptional human. His name is Josh, and looking at him all you would see was a happy, smiley teenager. It is not until you talk to him you discover there is a lot of things different about him. Josh does not complain like most teens, Josh does not ignore advice or roll his eyes, and Josh is a respectful teenager. There is more than just Josh’s great personality that makes him stand out. You would never realize he is different until you talk to him, but Josh has lost most of his vision. Although Josh cannot do everything the same as I do he does not let that stop him from following his dreams.
Everyone has met someone exceptional in their life, and might not realize how exceptional they are until they get to know them. Josh inspires me every time I see him. For bible school at church, Josh was a helper in a preschool classroom. The students loved him, but that was mainly because of his golden personality. The second day of class Josh was struggling getting to his seat, the students kept getting in his way and tripping him. When Josh and I explained how he could not see very well, the kids could not believe it. He did everything the same as us, and nothing was stopping him. I asked the kids if everyone was the same, and everyone answered no. Am I exactly the same as you? No. Are you exactly the same as your neighbor? Best friend? Family? No. I further explained to them that everyone is different, and that should not change how we treated Josh. Josh does not let his disability define him, but he allows it to grow him.
Josh is my inspiration in many ways. Maybe you have a “Josh” in your life. An exceptional person that breaks through all stereotypes and makes their own rules about what makes them different. Josh shows me that even if I struggle with many things in my life, that does not define me. Josh shows me that you can learn to laugh at yourself if you do something goofy. Josh shows me not to be ashamed of what makes you exceptional. Thank you, Josh, for being you!!
