~Acceptance~

Zachary Fenell is a 25-year-old resident of Cleveland, Ohio who was born with a mild case of cerebral palsy. This disease affects 750,000 Americans and their ability to control their muscle movement. Fenell said,             "I walk okay but have a slight limp. Balance is an issue. To go up and down stairs safely now, which most people take for granted, I have to hold the railing. And because my hand-eye coordination and right leg strength isn't the greatest, I don't have a car." A physician diagnosed Fenell with Scheurmann's disease when he was 13 years old. A corrective operation that would straighten his back with a rod bruised his spine and caused temporary paralysis in his right leg.Months later he still used a cane and never fully regained function in his right leg. He began his high school years with a cane. He expressed how embarrassed this made him feel because all he wanted to do is fit in. We have all been at this place in our lives. Just wanting to be apart of something. Fenell should not have been so ashamed of his disability. It is what makes him who he is and what set him apart during those awkward high school years. It is so true that this world would be a pretty dull place if everyone was the same. There would be nothing learned if we existed in a world like that. We wouldn't get to witness how truly extraordinary the human spirit is when we see how others overcome their struggles.  It occurred to me earlier today that I am so unbelievably grateful for every struggle that I've been able to overcome and because I am not like everyone else.