Handicapped, Weak--Absolutely NOT

by Fran McNabb

I love my kitchen window even though it doesn’t face the beautiful bayou where we live. Instead, it faces a small road and an empty wooded lot across the street, but from that window I’ve seen so much that makes me think and sometimes inspires me.

This spring I’ve watched a little squirrel without a tail jump from limb to limb then scamper up and down the oak trees that shade our front yard. Several days ago I saw the same squirrel under our carport where he was drinking from a bowl of water we leave for a neighbor’s dog. As he drank I realized that little squirrel only had three legs. Could that be the same squirrel that zipped around the

oak trees? My husband and I stayed quiet and watched as he finished drinking then ran across the yard and up one of the trees.

 Wow. Somewhere in that little fellow’s past, he had had a horrible accident or maybe a near tragic encounter with a larger animal, but seeing how active he was, I have to say he didn’t let his handicap slow him down.

That made me think of some of my acquaintances who also have handicaps, and like that little squirrel, most of them go about their lives not letting their disabilities stop them. They could sit at home and mope and blame the world for being different or being unable to do all the things they’d like, but they don’t. Like my little neighborhood squirrel, these people have found the inner strength to deal with their problems and make the best of their lives.

You have to admire people who deal with life’s problems and not walk around with a dark cloud over their heads. It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical handicap, an illness that has taken away their normal routine, or maybe a mental condition that they secretly keep inside. People who face these problems can easily lose the joys of life, or like our little squirrel, they can use them to add strength and fortitude.

We can all learn from those who must deal with life’s adversities. I admire them and hope we all can face difficulties that might come our way as well.

 

FRAN MCNABB lives on a dead-end street on a quiet bayou harbor. It is here where she has gotten inspiration for book plots and characters within her stories. She write tender romances, and presently has eight available on most book outlets. She loves to hear from her readers at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net or on her website www.FranMcNabb.com