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.
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.
