At almost eighteen years of age, you have spent the past five summers in New York City, Los Angeles, or somewhere in between pursuing your dream. We like to say that before you could walk, you danced. You always have had an uncanny ability to express yourself through movement, and could light up a room with your charismatic smile. For years, you put on shows for us at the dinner table, which quickly became shows for us on stage at theaters and competitions, and now you will be walking across one not to accept your trophy, but your high school diploma.
I have never felt that because you were younger, you lived in my shadow. Rather, we all lived in yours. You have an ability to capture the attention of a room with one turn. You have worn your heart on your sleeve, and danced through every emotion possible. Chills or goosebumps are commonly found in the audience once you take the stage because of your gift. What most people don't recognize, though, is the fact that you were born without a left hand.
What makes you so special is not that you were born different, but rather your ability to grow and teach others how to embrace their differences. You are a shining beacon of light in an area that once seemed dark; children and adults alike look to you for an example of how to live life. You are an inspiration to any and all who were born different, because you never let it stop you from doing what you love. And now, as you have been chosen to be one of thirty-five dancers out of over five hundred who auditioned to attend the Pace University dance program in the fall in New York City, you will have a one of a kind opportunity to share your gift and touch other people's lives for the next four years, and hopefully many decades to come.
You have set the bar high. You are an example of how not to let our differences affect the way we look at life. You are an inspiration. You are a story that should be told and shared to millions of people who were born different. You are my sister, and I am so proud. I have been given the amazing opportunity to watch you grow into the person you have become. You have taught me how to love and how to pursue my dreams even when they seemed impossible.
Despite all odds, you have never let your difference decide what you will be able to do. Rather, you have taught tens of hundreds of people, whether it be speaking or through various dance camps, that our differences do not define us. They are what let us shine. And now, I get to share your message and story with the world. I hope that each and every person who reads this can see past their own differences and seek out their own dreams, and I hope they can use you as an example.
All I can say is thank you. I can only hope that, one day, you will look back and see the trail you blazed to help anyone else who was born with a disability. I hope that one day, you will realize the impact that you have left on anyone who has gotten an opportunity to speak to you or see you dance. One day, I hope that you see that you have helped end the idea that our differences define us.
