Life is so very fragile. This is something I am reminded of daily. Working with my little Matt-Man in Louisiana was a lesson in this, and I was reminded over and over again about how much we can take things for granted, and not notice so much of what is going on around us. Matty noticed everything. He saw everything, heard everything, and felt everything. He may have been unable to express it with an extravagant number of words, but he definitely knew how to express to us what he was feeling. He knew when something was wrong with one of the few people truly in his life, and he felt their emotions; he would reflect their emotions and feel their pain. My mood became Matty's mood, his mom's pain became his pain, and he would cuddle her and try to comfort her. His heart is golden, and innocent, and pure. He doesn't know anything other than being honest with what he feels, and trying to show love in every way that he can, and, let me tell you, that little man can show love better than most people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I miss my Matt-Man.
Right now I am being given the opportunity to work with someone else who is in need of some help, and I am once again completely and utterly humbled. This person is currently dealing with being paralyzed from an accident. He wasn't expected to begin to do what he is doing now, or to get movement and control like he is getting. I am trying to help him strengthen his muscles that he has control of, and to gain control of other muscles as we move further down the road. It is amazing to watch his strength. Not only his mental strength, but his emotional strength and his physical strength, as well. His spirits are high, and his families are right there to match him. They push him, but beyond that, he pushes himself. There is no gloom and no doubt in the atmosphere, just a powerful and relentless fight and hope. He is in tune with every aspect of his body; he feels single nerves, tendons, different areas of different muscles, and he is training his brain to target them specifically. Watching him literally makes my heart overflow with astonishment and joy. He reminds me that there is no room for excuses in life; if we want something bad enough, there is nothing that can, or should, stop us from achieving it. We need to push ourselves past mental blocks and negativity or doubt, and simply bring ourselves there.
What I have learned from both Matty and the man I am working with now, is simply to remember how fragile life is; I am reminded to take the time to appreciate everything in my life--from the ability to type these words and use my hands, to the passion for health and wellness that has allowed me to be an asset in both of their lives. Their families have shown me what it is to look tragedy in the face, and simply tell it no; to refuse to be brought down without getting back up. They have shown me the power of resiliency and how much positivity can change so much about how we live--about how much HOPE can change everything.
It's so important that we live as positive as we can, and that we take time to appreciate everything and everyone that comes into our lives. How wonderful it is when we take the time to learn something from everyone and every experience--when we take the time to talk to people, to get to know them deeply, to learn their struggle, their joy, their pain and their laughter, and we take something from it all. When we take time to slow down and take in the world, and to take in the lives of those around us. When we invest in the lives that are put in our path long enough to understand why they were placed there, something beautiful is allowed to transpire. We are able to learn, we are able to grow and we are able to share that growth and those lessons with others that we meet. And maybe, just maybe, those stories, when shared, will help someone else make it through their pain or their struggle. Before we see it coming, or could expect it, life could end, and we shouldn't allow the days to be brought to an end without growth of some form.
