A Big Voice

Once again, I found a truly inspiring YouTube video and felt compelled to share with you.  As always, feel free to comment!

Happy Wednesday!

Pebbles and Shells

I want to thank my friends for an amazing time at the beach last week.  It was a time for reflection—to review the past year’s events and achievements, but also to look ahead—to prepare for life changes and anticipate their effect on my thoughts, words and deeds.  I must say as I start to focus on my final year at Messiah College, I feel a sense of urgency and uncertainness.  Last week, as I saw the tide roll in and out though, a peaceful serenity washed over me, and I realized the waves of the ocean is like life itself—continuous pebbles and shells wash onto shore, only to be swept away again.  Doesn’t that sound like life?  No one knows what pebbles and shells they’ll encounter, but once in a while, they discover a beautiful one and cling to them with every breath they have.  That makes everything all right in the world.  I know no matter my life challenges, I’ll always find beautiful pebbles and shells in all of my travels!  I hope you do as well.

Sullivan Ballou

Today, I’m posting an excerpt from the Ken Burns Civil War series.  Although I first watched this as a very young child, the beauty of this man’s words to his wife in a piece of the film still moves something sacred in me.  It always reminds me that love conquers all boundaries, even death.  I hope you’re moved such as I am by these memorable lines.  As always, comments are welcome!

On a side note, I’m going to the beach next week, so I won’t blog for that time.  Don’t worry, though, I’ll be back the week after that, refreshed and ready to go.  So, have a good week, everyone.  I’ll miss you!

http://www.jayandmolly.com/ballouletter.shtml

Emily’s Garden

As you all know, the enigma of Emily Dickinson always fascinated me, even as a young child.  Like her poetry, her love of her garden is certainly a well-known aspect of her life.  During these hot, summer days; I always wonder about the poetic musings she had while she worked in her garden; planting and pruning over a hundred years ago.  She certainly experienced the hot, blazing sun at her back while she tended lovingly to her plants.  Today, as I re-read some of her poetry, I marveled at how she captured nature’s beauty and described it on paper.  I feel honored to see the same sun’s brightness as she and to witness God’s great beauty every ephemeral summer day that passes.  It is comforting in a way to know some things change, while others stay the same; that we can always see and feel God’s unending love in His magnificent creations, knowing our journey does not end, only changes in its form.

A Journey to Remember

This weekend, after hearing about the passing of an acquaintance, I began to consider how precious life is and how we take some things so for granted.  At times it seems to me, at least, life is an unending road, fraught with challenges and decisions.  I know I have a tendency to become caught up in these very quickly and think all are life-altering events.  I’ve discovered, though, they are mere blips on the horizon, soon to be forgotten.  So, in the past few days, I promised myself to enjoy the passage, and yes, life’s road does end, but it is how you live the journey.  That’s a lesson we all need to remember, in the good as well as in the darkest times!

A Dilemma

Today, I read an interesting article about Warren Hill, an intellectually disabled man who has been sentenced to death in Georgia for the murder of his girlfriend.  When I hear stories such as these, I’m personally faced with the age-old moral dilemma.  Should individuals who do not know right from wrong be held to the same punishment as those who do?

As a firm believer in our law, I think the crime should definitely fit the punishment, but I equally think that a person’s mental capabilities should be closely examined.  It is certainly stated in the Bible that “Thou shall not kill,” but does that mean no matter the circumstances?  Should a person’s mental abilities be considered?  I also believe in God’s mercy and forgiveness; His omnipotence in all matters.  Should that be applied to these situations as well? Thought provoking, isn’t it?

I’m not trying to make a political statement here; I just felt compelled to sort out my own feelings on this subject.  Here is the link to the article in question http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/12/warren-hill-execution_n_3586872.html.  Feel free to post comments or opinions.

On that note, have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Letting Go

This week, as I perused articles that were of interest, I came across one that spoke directly to me.  A mom who had an autistic son wrote a fabulous article describing how she and her husband grieved for the lost opportunities their son would never experience.  She explained the sadness they felt watching their son grow.  In the grieving process, though, she recognized the grief took on a life all of its own, robbing her of living in the present moment and enjoying her son for who he was.  Reading this article caused me to draw parallels in my own life.  In my teenaged years, I dreamed what my life could have been, minus the Cerebral Palsy, so completely that it led me down a dark path; so dark I was afraid it would engulf me.  After traveling this path for a little while, I recognized I grieved for the might-have-beens and that robbed me of everyday life.  I can now say I lead a happier life now that I’ve let go of that image; that fantasy.  Letting go of might-have-beens is hard, but is worth it in the end!

For those who are interested in reading the article, it is http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-krug/grieving-for-the-other-owen_b_3526763.html?ncid=webmail10 .  It’s certainly a good read!

Booth

As a follow-up to last Friday's blog, I thought I'd post a poem I wrote about John Wilkes Booth a few years ago.  Feel free to comment if you wish.  Enjoy!

Booth

Skin pure as snow

Thespian voice never to be heard again

Now blood-stained hands

The “Pretty Boy’ falls

Into the pages of history

Never to be acclaimed

As he wished.

Booth says:

No tears should be shed

For I am the savior of

The South.

My cause is real.

Do not mourn

For me.

No tears should be shed

For I am the savior of

The South.

They will curse

My name,

But I saw righteousness

At the beginning.

No tears should be shed

For I am the savior of

The South.

And now the time for death

Has drawn near.

I will honor my country to the

Very utmost.

The tyrant is dead.

My duty is done

No tears should be shed

For I am a savior of

The South

Gettysburg

For everyone who knows anything about me, I absolutely love to go to Gettysburg.  Even though the town is rich in its documentation of the war, it feels everywhere I go there holds an untold story, open to imagination and interpretation.  Even I have a tendency to forget this when I’m there, caught up in the town’s brutality and mass slaughter.  But, this year, as the 150^th anniversary of the epic battle approached, I stopped to ponder what Gettysburg means to me, primarily as a person who has a disability.

To me, the Battle of Gettysburg parallels my situation with Cerebral Palsy.  Both mean participating in a fight that will exist far beyond lifetimes, but maybe, just maybe, it will improve lives along the way. Like the partcipants in Gettysburg, we all are a thread in the unending tapestry—life, subject to future interpretation, waiting to tell its untold story.  All lead epic battles; some of the stories are just waiting to be told.

Ralph

In recognition of Independence Day, and on behalf of UCP Central PA, I’d like to introduce you to their mascot and my new friend, the Ability Bear.  As I sit at my computer, my little bear, Ralph, as I named him, looks at me with a smile, encouraging all of my daily endeavors.  Bold words, “No Limits,” are imprinted in yellow on his green shirt.  Over the years, I developed my own sense of the word. Now, thinking about it, I realize my life has been chalk full of examples.

Even as a young child, I grasped the concept of “no limits” and never let it go.  I went to weekly physical therapy sessions and eventually strengthened my body so I had the ability to move with greater ease. Graduating from high school on time was another defining moment in my quest to prove my “ability.”

Another example in my life was the naysayers who said I wasn’t college material. Fortunately, for every individual who discouraged me and tried to impose limits on what I could and couldn’t do, there were others who provided encouragement and told me I could do whatever I set my mind to. I believe a 3.88 GPA at Messiah College shows who got the better of that argument. 

At the beginning of every semester, I encounter a seemingly insurmountable amount of classwork. But through hard work, persistence, and determination, I always manage to complete it. Finally, my work as an intern in the UCP Development Department proves there are no limits to my ability to be an integral resource for any prospective employer. 

So, on this Independence Day, it is my fervent Hope that Ralph’s exhortation of “No Limits,” along with examples from my own personal experience, serve as a reminder that anything is possible, if only you truly believe in your abilities.

Whispering Hope

Last night, I attended a hymn sing with my friend, Alta.  Although all the songs were beautiful, one stood out in my mind.  As the singers began “Whispering Hope,” a familiar happiness washed throughout my soul.  Even though the song bears my name, it holds an even more symbolic meaning for me as I become older.  Whether it is pre-destiny or coincidence, I believe some names determine personalities, at least, it seemingly does mine.  To me, my name embodies the spirit of everlasting determination and the continuing faith I posses.  When I hear the song, these feelings rise to the forefront of my entire soul.  I only HOPE I live up to my name everyday and am a gentle reminder of what His promise holds for all of us.