Do you ever have days where you dread going to the gym? Do you often take the escalator when you could just as easily take the stairs? Do you ever complain about just simply walking short distances? Of course you do. We all do. But how does this all sound to someone who may not be able to use their legs? How does this make someone with a physical disability feel? It is too easy for us to take for granted our God given rights. Something as simple as legs would be a dream come true for some people and here we are whining about climbing the stairs.
There is a very special 10-year old who has made such an impact on my life. She came into my life over six years ago and holds a special place in my heart. She was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA, which is a life-threatening and degenerative condition that does not allow her to walk. It actually prevents her from walking, standing, sitting up for long periods of time, and feeding herself an entire meal. She has taught me some incredible life lessons in the five short years that I have known her. Seeing how she goes through her day as normally as possible is such an inspiration and really proves how much we actually take for granted.
This 10-year old girl became a “Wish Kid” several years ago when the Make A Wish Foundation granted her wish of having a playground at her house. It is wheelchair accessible but still fun for her and her friends. How many times have you gone to the playground, went on the swings, and climbed up the ladders to go down the slide? Probably millions, right? Now, how many times have you stopped to think about the people who are not physically able to do that? It’s amazing when you stop and think about all the things healthy humans do every day that so many people on this earth wish so badly they could do.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy is one of the worst health conditions I have come across yet. It came into my life about six years ago and will be a part of me forever. This special little 10-year old came into my life and showed me a whole new way of looking at things. She doesn’t realize how much she has taught me and how much her story needs to be shared.
Nobody’s perfect and that will never change, but we can be more aware of our actions and how we affect other people.
I now have a challenge for you. It is a three-part challenge and may be more difficult than most would think. The first part is to stop. Stop and look at the people in your life. Stop and look at the people you see every day. Stop and look at yourself and ask yourself what you are thankful for. The second part of this challenge is to think. Think about those people in your life. Think about the people around you that you see every day and think about the people in this world that you will never meet. Think about what some people live with. Think about what some people have to deal with on a daily basis and ask yourself if life for you is really that bad. The last part to this challenge is to change. Change your thoughts. Change your words. Change your complaints unless you really have a reason to complain. We need to start being more positive and more aware of these issues in order to better our own lives and the lives around us.
