Acceptance

Acceptance—everybody wants to be accepted no matter what they do.  As individual people, we can be our worst critic.  Some people think that they can’t do something because of some label that they might have, such as “handicapped.”  For the person who does not have any physical challenges at all, it would be harder for them to do things one-handed then the ten different ways that you as a person have had to learn.  You will do almost anything to show that nothing is going to stop you from proving those people wrong.

Sometimes it takes a long time to accept things.  I mean no one wants to be told they will never be able to do something.  If I had a dollar for everything that someone told me that I will never do …. I would be rich!  Things that you want come from working hard and never accepting defeat.  As you have heard, where there is a will, there is a way.  No one does things the same way or lives the same lifestyle.  Everyone’s life is different.  Some will never have the opportunities as others do, some people let their fears hold them back and do not take as many chances.  It is all about accepting your best way of how to live life to the best of your ability and to live as independently as possible.

The world was not always like how we know it today—group homes, supported living and being involved in the community.  The system still has a lot of work to do but there have been many positive changes from where we have come.

If you did not have some form of disability, you were okay to be see out in the world.  However, if you had any sense of being or looking different where you might do harm to something or someone else, you were put away and never seen.  You were never spoken of other than among close family members.  They were not treated like people but more like just objects and look down on.  What kind of world is that?!  I would never want to live that way.  It sounds like a nightmare.  Hearing about all the things that went on and thinking that it was once legal to do such things its mind blowing, it leaves you speechless.  To think that could have been me if I was born 25 years before!

why friends are important

Some friends will be by your side forever while others will come and go like the weather.  True friends are there for you no matter the weather or how bad a storm gets.  The people who are true to you embrace the qualities that make you different, that make you stand out in a positive way.  Because you are not the same as everyone else, something about you just might stand out like a sore thumb!  But like everything, you learn how to work around things to get your way.  You might have to take a longer road than everyone else and make sacrifices to get there, but in the end it does not matter as long as you get there with the people who truly have your support every step of the way.  You do not have to see your friends every day.  Some you might talk to on the phone or email more than those who you run into every day.  The one who you would think that you might run into every day because they live right around the corner, you might barely get to see.  Life is funny that way but the reality is that life can keep you busy with everything that you are responsible to do as an adult.

As a kid we can do anything and have no responsibility.  The only responsibilities we have are to have fun, stay out of trouble and learn as we grow.  As we grow up, we see the changes and start to really see how we have to count on ourselves and no one else.  It is always important to have friends there for you as long as they are supportive of you.  Most of the time your job does not define your friendships, it is usually your common interests or experiences that define your friendships.  It is also ok to have different friends who may not have the same interests as you.  You all might have a ton in common but not always see things from the same point of view.

It is very important to keep an open mind about topics, especially when you have a wide variety of friends.  The important thing is to think and look at all the things that made you friends to begin with.  And the reason for that is because they will always have your back like family does, and will never turn away from you at the the time when you need them by your side the most.

Mrs Russo

                                                          

THIS LETTER CHANGED MY LIFE

ON JUNE 5,1990

 I was in kindergarten at Holy Cross Elementary School in 1990 and a lot of things happened that year. I had no clue back then what they where or what they meant or even how they would effect me later on in life. Mrs. Russo was the first person who spoke up for me as an educator. Now some might say what could possibly go wrong when you are 6 years old? Little did I know that this was going to impact my life forever. My mom tells me the story all the time, that there was a time when all the kids where asked to hold hands and to make a circle and there was one student that did but another that did not, because they thought my hand was different.

That then gave Mrs. Russo the idea to bring in someone from the local Shriners Children’s Hospital and speak about all the different types of weaknesses. They also showed the students all the cool things about being different. At the same time, there is nothing to be afraid of and no one is the same if you look around the room. There was not anyone in the room who is the same. We all come from different backgrounds; look and you will see there are people with blond hair, brown hair, black hair, red hair, along with different color eyes some blue, green, brown, hazel.

Mrs. Russo was an awesome person, she always made sure that the children in her classroom felt at home. There was a number of times that she helped others. She would never let anyone feel like they were different and that was one of the things that made her stand out the most for me. There was a bunch of instances where I have had to speak up and times that I have felt self-confident about how I am.


Later when I was in high school, I heard that Mrs. Russo was diagnosed with tongue cancer and she had a percentage of her tongue removed. She had to stop teaching full time but she went back to work part-time. Because of the surgery that she had she was not able to talk clearly but she loved teaching and making a difference in peoples lives. So when my mom told me about the kids laughing at her when she went to read a book to the students, it broke my heart. I know when kids are young they don’t know better, however, it still hurts because she made a huge difference to everyone, especially me. Thank you Mrs. Russo for showing people that being different can be a good thing.