kblover
Cathlete
Hi all,
I just wanted to write about a friend of mine. her name is Jen.
She comes to my cardio kickboxing class every week, full of smiles and enthusiasm. With her short, round body and plain looks, she is far from gaining society's title of "beauty". Although the world will not allow her to bear this name, those of us who know her can call her nothing else but beautiful.
She is the first one to notice people when they come into a room. She is the first one to smile at them and run over to give them a hug. She is instant friends with everyone. She doesn't judge others, only looks for love and approval.
She has been in my class for three years and has always been my bright spot. I would come to class, after a long day at my day job and homework waiting for me after class, tired and worn. But Jen's love for life and class would eventually spill over into me, giving me the energy I needed to motivate everyone else.
Jen does have a problem...she is mentally challenged. Never before has this been a problem though. It is only a problem now because it has caused some changes in her health and just this past week, we found out that the doctors expect her to slip into a coma w/in 2 weeks and die shortly after that.
I cannot imagine class without my little ray of sunshine...I can only imagine what her family must feel. I would just ask that you keep all of them in prayer as I'm sure this is a very hard time for them.
I guess I also wanted to post this because I wanted everyone to know who she is and that she made a contribution to this world in such a wonderful way. I meet a lot of people who are scared to talk to people who are mentally challenged or who think they are weird. I am here to tell you that they are neither scary or weird. They really have so much to contribute and so much they can teach you about love and being nonjudgemental. I would encourage all of you to take another look at those who are mentally challenged and find out what you can learn from them. They want love and acceptance just as much as anyone else. Please don't be scared to talk with them or be in their lives (if possible). People are always worth the effort.
Thank you for listening,
Cheryl
I just wanted to write about a friend of mine. her name is Jen.
She comes to my cardio kickboxing class every week, full of smiles and enthusiasm. With her short, round body and plain looks, she is far from gaining society's title of "beauty". Although the world will not allow her to bear this name, those of us who know her can call her nothing else but beautiful.
She is the first one to notice people when they come into a room. She is the first one to smile at them and run over to give them a hug. She is instant friends with everyone. She doesn't judge others, only looks for love and approval.
She has been in my class for three years and has always been my bright spot. I would come to class, after a long day at my day job and homework waiting for me after class, tired and worn. But Jen's love for life and class would eventually spill over into me, giving me the energy I needed to motivate everyone else.
Jen does have a problem...she is mentally challenged. Never before has this been a problem though. It is only a problem now because it has caused some changes in her health and just this past week, we found out that the doctors expect her to slip into a coma w/in 2 weeks and die shortly after that.
I cannot imagine class without my little ray of sunshine...I can only imagine what her family must feel. I would just ask that you keep all of them in prayer as I'm sure this is a very hard time for them.
I guess I also wanted to post this because I wanted everyone to know who she is and that she made a contribution to this world in such a wonderful way. I meet a lot of people who are scared to talk to people who are mentally challenged or who think they are weird. I am here to tell you that they are neither scary or weird. They really have so much to contribute and so much they can teach you about love and being nonjudgemental. I would encourage all of you to take another look at those who are mentally challenged and find out what you can learn from them. They want love and acceptance just as much as anyone else. Please don't be scared to talk with them or be in their lives (if possible). People are always worth the effort.
Thank you for listening,
Cheryl
