< Back
For the past four summers, I have been a volunteer at MDA summer camp. From day one, the four little girls in my cabin captured my heart and have had a hold on it ever since. I have had the privilege of seeing these girls grow up, but I have also watched as their individual disabilities progress. People ask me how I handle seeing a disability take over a child’s life. My answer: I don’t. I do not see a disability “take over” or “ruin” a life. I see children with a world of possibilities that lie ahead of them; possibilities that are just as real for them as they are for children without disabilities.
Over the past few years, I have seen children go from walking to walkers, from manual chairs to power chairs. What is the one thing that I have not seen change? Through all of the changes that I have seen my campers go through, I have never seen their disability limit them. I have seen positive attitudes, outstanding courage, and overwhelming hope about the future that lies ahead. I believe the biggest misconception that people have about disabilities is the belief that they completely ruin someone’s life. That is why 3E Love is so important to me. I use it as a conversation starter. It is an aid to tell my story and my campers’ stories. I tell the story of a girl loves to sing and dance. I tell the story of a girl who calls her chair her Nissan. I tell the story of the girl with the kindest spirit I have encountered. I tell the story of a girl who has never walked, but has made it to the top of a rock wall. I tell the story of the girl who built up the courage to go down the waterslide, despite her fear. I tell the story of the girl I saw ride a horse for the first time even though she had always been told that she could not. I could go on and on forever. Most of all I tell the story of the six sassiest divas that I have ever met and how the one week I spend with them every summer is the best week of my year.
The symbol speaks to people who, before, may have been too afraid to ask. It speaks out against the whispers and boldly faces the pitying looks that many people with disabilities face on a daily basis. I wear the symbol for my girls, so that with every conversation I have, the world becomes one step closer to an accepting society. I want to do my part to help change the way that society views disabilities and the individuals who have them. People are people, no matter what disability they may have.
Over the past few years, I have seen children go from walking to walkers, from manual chairs to power chairs. What is the one thing that I have not seen change? Through all of the changes that I have seen my campers go through, I have never seen their disability limit them. I have seen positive attitudes, outstanding courage, and overwhelming hope about the future that lies ahead. I believe the biggest misconception that people have about disabilities is the belief that they completely ruin someone’s life. That is why 3E Love is so important to me. I use it as a conversation starter. It is an aid to tell my story and my campers’ stories. I tell the story of a girl loves to sing and dance. I tell the story of a girl who calls her chair her Nissan. I tell the story of the girl with the kindest spirit I have encountered. I tell the story of a girl who has never walked, but has made it to the top of a rock wall. I tell the story of the girl who built up the courage to go down the waterslide, despite her fear. I tell the story of the girl I saw ride a horse for the first time even though she had always been told that she could not. I could go on and on forever. Most of all I tell the story of the six sassiest divas that I have ever met and how the one week I spend with them every summer is the best week of my year.
The symbol speaks to people who, before, may have been too afraid to ask. It speaks out against the whispers and boldly faces the pitying looks that many people with disabilities face on a daily basis. I wear the symbol for my girls, so that with every conversation I have, the world becomes one step closer to an accepting society. I want to do my part to help change the way that society views disabilities and the individuals who have them. People are people, no matter what disability they may have.
