Finding the ring of perseverance
I hesitate to call it “rubble,” but is there anything more challenging to an otherwise healthy person than a lost motor skill or similar handicaps? Paralysis, impaired hearing, blindness—when your own body presents an obstacle how do you surmount the challenge on a day-to-day basis?
People do it every day and sometimes they’re also moms and dads who have to “be there” for very physically capable children.
When Sarah Kovac watches her son, Ethan, crawl or grab objects, she feels proud, but also has mixed emotions. Already, the 8-month-old has abilities Kovac never had.
“He relies on me, but he’s already able to do things that I can’t, which is kind of a strange combination of feelings,” said Kovac, 26, of St. Joseph, Missouri.
Not surprisingly, a lot of differently able parents count on their children for support in overcoming physical challenges, which is an encouraging lesson in the strength of children. But also, it’s often a matter of the parents finding innovative ways around their own limitations, like the determined mom who has no control of her arms but manages to bathe her son and accomplish all the usual daily tasks, including driving…with her feet.
When you talk to people with disabilities and learn about their solutions that seem downright amazing, you start to see the potential for overcoming all sorts of situations that we too quickly consider to be impossible.
The next time my computer crashes on a deadline, maybe I’ll be inspired to find a work-around, considering what I might have to do if I couldn’t SEE my computer screen!
Inspiration abounds if we pay attention.