With life's obstacles, planning of future events and our day-to-day challenges, it is easy to get caught up in the moment. We forget what we are working towards, why we are working towards certain goals and tend to lose our sense of grounding. Then when we least expect it, we meet a special person or have these magical eye opening experiences that change our sense of priorities.
Today I had the pleasure of meeting a very special woman. See for me, my job is easy. I am surrounded by all these inspirational people and fascinating stories. My only job is to relay their messages to our stakeholders in order to continue to receive funding or the resources needed to continue to make a difference in other people's lives. I digress...
For respect of this woman's privacy, we will call her "Lisa." "Lisa" was born with nerve apathy affecting her vision. She grew up during a time when society was not so warm to people with disabilities. Everyday "Lisa" would come home and maintain the house but her mother constantly reminded her of her disability and assured her that she would never amount to anything or be able to live independently. One day "Lisa" built up the courage to leave her mother's home, move into a shelter and seek the help she needs.
After hard work and true dedication to proving to the world that people with visial impairents can work and live independently, "Lisa" is now a supervisor at Bosma Enterprises, lives on her own, and has found inner happiness.
You see... the thing some people sadly fail to identify is the beautiful qualities people with disabilities posess. We are so quick to turn our head to the unfamiliar instead of embracing the uniqueness of other individuals. As I continue to work with people with disabilities and watch my brother struggle with his own disabilities, I have begun seeing the meaning of "beauty" in a different light. People with disabilities are just like you and I. They have feelings, they know the meaning of love and they all want what we want - the chance to be accepted.
Who are we to say what is "normal" or "not normal?" If beauty is truely in the eye of the beholder, I challenge you to ask yourself, "What is beautiful?" Beauty is unique. Beauty is different. Beauty is having the courage to be, think and act different. We must embrace one another and love each other's unique qualities.
The differnce between someone with a disability and someone without a disability is, someone with a disability will never judge you. They have the incredible gift to look past imperfections and what is "not normal" to see who a person really is.
Ask yourself, when you first meet someone, do you judge them? Do you have the ability to see who they really are on the inside before making any superficial judgements based on exterior? When you can do this, you than can identify beauty. Uniqueness is beautiful and people with disabilities are beautiful.
-C. Ann
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