Book Review: Twilight

By Amy Orringer
October 18, 2009

Our Review

Though fantasy stories and fairy tales continue to enjoy their hold on the younger set, thanks to a certain wizard-based series, the world of young adult and tween fantasy is experiencing its own coming-of-age. The stories are less about plunging readers completely into another world, and more about that other world being tossed into readers’ lives, the already complex mess of adolescence.

 

Twilight, The Twilight Saga, Book 1 (Little, Brown Young Readers, 2006) by Stephenie Meyer

This is one of the few young adult novels we can recommend for both grandmothers and granddaughters. Twilight, the Twilight Saga, Book 1 is the first in yet another brilliant series that’s well-written enough to suck in (excuse the pun) even the most cynical adult reader. Readers can immediately identify with the main character, 17 year-old Bella; she’s a completely regular, kind-of-clumsy, independent girl — the kind we root for because secretly (or for some tweens, maybe not so secretly), we’re a little like that too.

So the plot gets even more enthralling when we discover that Bella just happens to be cosmically connected to a handsome, dangerous, incredibly kind vampire. Sure, there are lots of books about love against all odds, but this one manages to conjure up that belief in true, immortal that love we develop as young girls and never really let go of, no matter how long ago we traded it for practicality.

Young readers find themselves wanting to believe that even amid midterms and homecoming and the whole vampires-eat-humans problem, they’ll somehow make it through; older readers will simply feel like young readers again. The entire series has been flying off the shelves for months, and the first book will be released as a movie, starring Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattinson, later this fall.

Price: $6
For ages: 14 and older
Available at: Amazon.com

Source Grandparents

Frank ‘n’ Friends

 By Family Fun
Oct. 16, 2009

Dried citrus rinds give this seasonal squash — and his companions — their un-natural good looks.

 

 

 

Materials

• Craft knife
• Hole punch
• Glue dots
• Spaghetti squash
• Two limes
• Black craft foam
• Duct tape
• Toothpicks
• Large bolts
• Black permanent marker

Instructions

1. Use a craft knife to cut a circle of rind from the top and bottom of an orange or lime for the eyes (a parent’s job). Cut a slit in the remaining peel and remove it intact to use for ears, teeth, and other features. If you’re making the witch, reserve the larger pieces of orange peel for the hair.

 

2. Clean the fruit from the rinds, then use scissors to snip out your character’s facial features, as shown. Cut them a little larger than you want; they will shrink as they dry. To dry the pieces, bake them on a foil-lined cookie sheet at 175 degrees for 20 minutes, then allow them to air dry for about 1K hours (or until glue dots will stick to them).

 

3. Use a hole punch to make a pair of pupils from the craft foam, then adhere them to the white side of the rind eyes with glue dots.

 

4. Attach all the pieces with glue dots, as pictured. To make the ears stick out (for Frank and the Count), tape a toothpick to the back, leaving about 1K inches of the toothpick exposed, then insert it in place.

 

5. Finishing touches for Frank: Cut the hair from craft foam following the diagram at right and attach it with glue dots. Bore a hole on each side of the squash with a pencil, then insert the bolts. Use a permanent marker to draw the teeth.

 

 

 

6. Finishing touches for Witch: Cut a small mouth from the craft foam. To make a hat, cut the shapes shown at right from a piece of black craft foam. Roll the half-circle into a cone with a base slightly larger than the center of the ring, and secure the edge with glue dots. Tuck the cone’s base into the center of the ring. For the buckle, double-fold a sheet of foil to create a square shape. Snip out the center, then adhere it to the hat with glue dots.

 

 7. Finishing touches for the Mummy: Wrap the pumpkin in gauze, using glue dots to attach the fabric as you go.

 

8. Finishing touches for the Count: Cut a collar and hair from the craft foam, following the diagram at right. Wrap each around the pumpkin and attach them with glue dots, as shown.

 

 

 

 

Variations:
 

 

 

 

Source Family Fun

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

McGruff Tip of the Week – Drugs and Alcohol

By McGruff and Scruff
Oct. 17, 2009

In 1974, a neighborhood crime watch group was organized in South Dade County. Citizens met with their local law enforcement departments to ask what they could do to help the police apprehend a rapist terrorizing their community. From this first informal meeting, communities and law enforcement began to work together to keep neighborhoods safe and free from crime.

An organization was formed, and Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County, Inc. (CCW) was registered as a 501(c) (3) non profit organization. Today, over 1,600 neighborhoods participate in the crime watch concept.

In 1979, the crime watch concept was introduced into the public school system at one school. Because it succeeded in curbing school crime, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) requested we, CCW, expand its student crime watch program from one school to include all public schools in the county. Since that time, Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade (YCW) has functioned as an allied program of the public schools.

Methodology The public school system contracts with YCW to educate and train students in violence and crime prevention strategies. Children also learn that good citizenship and personal responsibility include watching out for family, friends, schools and community. YCW maintains a presence in all M-DCPS.

The foundation of the YCW program is built upon a “school safety survey” which is administered at the school during the first few months of the school year. It asks respondents to rank their particular safety concerns – those issues which they believe have the potential to cause harm to themselves or their schoolmates.

YCW students, student advisors, and our staff are then enlisted in the effort to resolve those issues impeding the safety, health, and education of young people. The results of the survey are prioritized and comprise the core content of the YCW program.

The YCW program is structured to teach leadership skills to students who volunteer to learn about school safety. While they learn how to keep themselves safe, they also learn public speaking, critical thinking, leadership, and other skills that will serve them into their adult lives. This, in turn, reinforces their self-esteem and promotes positive involvement, again curbing misbehavior, crime and violence in the school.

I’m McGruff the Crime Dog – world famous for my advice on how to stop crime before it happens, and for my great sense of humor. But seriously, my job is to help people, especially kids, learn how to be safe and make their neighborhood safer.

Something else you should know about me is that I go all over the country to talk to people about how they can take a bite out of crime. So if you see me in your town, come on up and say hi. You can recognize me by my tan trench coat – I never go anywhere without it.

This here is my nephew Scruff. He helps me show kids how they can stay safe. Scruff’s a good pup but sometimes gets himself into a bit of trouble. Lucky for him he’s got a good memory – eventually he remembers the right thing to do to get out of trouble. Want to know more about me and Scruff?

You can read more about yours truly in the story How McGruff Became the Crime Dog, and you can read some of Scruff’s adventures in these comic books.

Today we will talk about: Drugs and Alcohol

 

 

What do drugs look like?

Drugs may look like pills or medicine or candy. Other drugs may look like cigarettes or little rocks. You may not know what they are. If you see something and you are not sure what it is, do not touch it. Tell someone you trust — like your mom or dad, a teacher, or a police officer.

Are drugs bad? What if someone makes me use drugs?

Drugs can hurt people so you should stay away from them. If someone asks you to take something and you don’t know what it is, what should you do? The best thing to do is to say “no” and tell an adult who can help you.

My father and uncle drink beer. I heard someone say that it’s a drug. I’m confused!

Beer does contain alcohol, which is a drug. Some adults like your father and uncle, may choose to drink beer. Its okay for most adults to drink beer or have a glass of wine once in a while, but drinking too much can hurt them. And alcohol can hurt kids. You and your friends should stay away from beer, cigarettes, and wine coolers. Your body is still growing, and drugs and alcohol can really hurt it. Drugs are dangerous and against the law for all kids. 

My mother smokes cigarettes. My teacher says that’s bad. I want my mom to stop. What should I do?

Cigarettes are bad for people.  Smoking can hurt the lungs and heart.  But your mother is an adult who may choose to smoke.  She may have started a long time ago when she didn’t know that cigarettes could hurt her.  Cigarettes contain a drug called nicotine that makes it very hard for people to stop smoking. 

You can tell your mother that you hope she will stop.  Her choice to smoke has nothing to do with you, but it may help her to stop if she knows that you care about her health.

Some older kids in high school use drugs. Nothing bad happens, they say. Is this true?

Older kids do not use drugs. That’s because drugs are illegal and dangerous, and most kids know it. Those kids who do use drugs are being hurt. Sometimes we cannot see the pain of these kids, but it is there. It’s like when you get a paper cut: the cut may be very small and others may have trouble seeing it, but it hurts you. Using drugs is 100 times worse. Drugs hurt your body and make you sick. They also make you unable to think straight. 

Hang with those kids who don’t use drugs, and don’t let older kids tell you that drugs won’t hurt you.

I see a lot of TV commercials that show older people drinking beer and wine coolers and having fun. What if I tried it?

Beer and wine coolers contain alcohol. They are very dangerous for kids. They are also illegal for you to use. TV commercials make things look nice because they want you to buy the products. They don’t show that alcohol can make people sick, cause car crashes, get them into problems with the law, and lead to all sorts of trouble for drinkers and their families. 

There are lots of fun and good things you can do. Don’t use harmful things. Instead, you can go for a walk, take a bike ride, play a game with a friend, or help your parents around the house.

Source: McGruff

www.mcgruff.org

 

 

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Food Eating During the Holidays

By Alexnader
Oct. 16, 2009 
Dear Alexander,

(Q) My dad wants to eat in a restaurant this year for our holiday meal, but my mom doesn’t think we should. Which have you found to be easiest?

 

(A) That’s a great question! Families often enjoy eating out during the holidays, because it saves time and energy. However, it also presents extra problems for those of us with food allergies.

If you’re eating out, have your dad call the restaurant in advance and plan out a safe meal with them. He will need to remind the staff about secret ingredients that can show up in food and review ways to avoid cross-contact in the kitchen.

I think the safest and easiest is eating at home. Your family already has a lot of experience in managing your food allergy! The most important thing to do is to tell your parents what you want to do. That will help them make the decision.

Good luck!

Your friend,

Alexander the Elephant

 

Source Food Allergy

Editor’s Note: The information above is not designed to take the place of a doctor’s instructions. Patients are urged to contact a doctor for specific information regarding guidelines for care.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Teachers Should Know

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
Oct. 18, 2009

Editor’s Note: How many of us as parents have twins. And wonder how the teachers handled them or even know how to? The following column we hope will help teachers to understand about them.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

 

By Apple 4 the Teacher

 

The incidence of multiple births has increased dramatically in the past two decades. The birth rate for twins, who constitute the most common kind of multiple births, increased 42% from 1980 to 1994 (Lytton, Singh, & Gallagher, 1995). Given this trend, it seems reasonable to assume that many teachers will have twins and other multiple siblings in their classes at some point in their classroom careers.

To a large extent, the available research on twins stems from a long tradition of studies focused on the nature-nurture debates. These studies look at twins reared together and apart and attempt to ascertain the relative influence of genetic and environmental influences on personality development. Research on the effects of twins’ separation in school and other practical questions is as yet very limited. Nevertheless, difficult decisions about their education have to be made by school districts, principals, and teachers while new research is awaited. This Digest offers some pointers for educators facing the challenges of educating multiples.

 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF TWINS AND OTHER MULTIPLES

There are two basic types of twins and other multiples. Identical twins are defined as monozygotic because they are the result of the split of a single fertilized ovum. Dizygotic twins, usually referred to as fraternal twins, are the result of the fertilization of two separate ova, as in other siblings born years apart. There are four types of identical twins, depending upon how early in the development of the ovum its division occurs. The earlier in the division, the more alike the individuals are likely to be physically. In the case of other multiples, as for example in the case of triplets, two of the three may be identical, but more typically all three are as different as any other three siblings.

These variations in the extent to which siblings from the same pregnancy resemble each other suggest that teachers may want to keep in mind that most multiples are as unique as any other set of siblings, although their psychosocial situation differs from that of singletons. Identical twins will be more behaviorally alike on average than fraternal twins. It is also the case that many multiple- birth children are born prematurely and have low birth weight. Many of the same kinds of problems typical of single premature low birth weight children will be typical of premature twins. However, for parents of multiples, even if they are not subject to the strains related to the risks of prematurity, the stresses and strains of the early care of multiples are substantial and appear to have some short-term effects on the children’s development (Lytton, Singh, & Gallagher, 1995). Because twins are the most typical type of multiples, that term is used in the discussion below, although much of the discussion applies equally to other multiple-birth siblings.

 

SEPARATING TWINS IN SCHOOL

One of the most frequently asked questions by preschool and elementary teachers and principals is whether the classroom separation of multiples should be encouraged. Dreyer (1991) and Brodkin (1997) point out that many schools and preschool programs have a fixed policy of separating twins. In other schools, however, the decision may be left to the principal or to the teachers.

Is it necessary for schools and preschool programs to have a strict policy about separating twins? Dreyer concludes her discussion of what little research is available on this question by stating that “Twins feel that the best policy is no policy at all” (Dreyer, 1991, p. 6). Similarly, most parents seem to feel that such decisions should be determined on a case-by-case basis and that a rigid policy should be avoided.

Even in very small preschools and elementary schools that have only one class per age group, teachers often wonder if they should encourage the twins to engage in separate activities, participate in different learning center activities, sit at different tables for meals, and team up with other peers.

 

MAKING SEPARATION DECISIONS

The Parents of Multiple Births Association, Inc., of Canada provides a list of possible circumstances to be considered when making a decision about separation (Dreyer, 1991, p. 11). Included in this list are questions such as whether the twins’ “togetherness” might hinder the social development of one or both. Thus, parents and the teacher might ask whether, by about the age of 5, each of the twins is capable of initiating and maintaining satisfying relationships with nonsibling peers. If the answer is “yes,” then separation would not be warranted. If the answer is “no,” then separation, perhaps for part of the day, might be attempted on an experimental basis. Separation may also be considered under the following circumstances:

• Classmates engage in frequent comparisons of the pair, and the comparisons provoke negative feelings in either twin. Constant comparison of twins is one of the greatest sources of distress to twins and one of the most difficult things for parents and teachers to resist. Although parents, and even teachers, often compare different-age siblings, the fact that the twins are the same age as well as frequently of the same gender considerably heightens the temptation to draw comparisons. Even at the preschool age, twins are likely to be aware of such comparisons and may become more competitive than other siblings. Most twins ultimately weather school situations successfully, but if one of the multiples typically comes out on the poorer end of these comparisons, a pattern of discouragement may develop and could lead to a pattern of “learned helplessness” (Burhans & Dweck, 1995).
• There is no evidence that twins are more disruptive than non-twins. However, if disruptions do occur and standard procedures for handling disruptive behavior fail to alleviate the pattern, separation might be one course of action to consider.
• A female twin “over-mothers” her male co-twin. In the case of fraternal opposite-sex twins, females tend to be the more dominant of the two and more critical of their twin brothers, who “appreciated their twin sister’s guidance but felt somewhat threatened by their ‘superiority'” (Dreyer, 1991, p. 3).
• Many twins develop a pattern of helping each other through both academic and social predicaments. Educators might want to consider how separation will affect twins who are accustomed to helping each other. Teachers might observe the twins closely in the classroom to ensure that one twin does not help the other excessively, or that the one being helped does not become too dependent on the other. In the case of preschoolers, perhaps the best advice is to make the separation gradual, if it is done at all.

There are other situations in which separation might be a poor or untimely decision. For example, if the pair is undergoing particular stresses within the family, or if there are health concerns for one or both twins, separation may place unnecessary stress on twins.

In the case of school-age twins, it is a good idea to check their own preferences about separation. Although their feelings on the issue should be considered, these feelings should be put in a larger perspective of the long-term development of each member of the multiple sibling group.

Placement decisions should also take into account the views of parents. Some parents will have strong feelings on the matter (Segal & Russell, 1992). However, it is a good idea to keep in mind that parents may not be fully aware of how their children behave in the classroom environment. If parents disagree on the best course of action, teachers may want to listen carefully to each, make suggestions for them to consider, invite them to observe their children in the classroom, and suggest a short-term experiment of separating or keeping the twins together. During that time, the twins can be closely observed and evaluated by teachers and parents. In this way, the school personnel and the parents can address the issue as a team focused on the long-term best interests of the children.

 

LOOK ALIKES

Ideally, as suggested by guidelines for the education of multiple birth children recently issued by the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Club, Inc. (1998), educators should learn to recognize each child in a set of multiples without resorting to extraordinary measures, such as requiring identical twins to wear name tags, different color clothes, or different hair styles. However, for teachers struggling with large classes, this ideal may take much time and effort to achieve. In the case of twins who look very much alike, and who often behave alike, a teacher’s inability to distinguish between the twins and to use the correct name of the child may be a source of stress for the children and the teacher. It may be preferable to consult the parents about the possibility of helping the teacher to make the correct identification by dressing the twins differently, giving them different haircuts or shirt colors, or providing other consistently different patterns in their appearance. Speaking as a twin, the experience of being called by the other’s name can be very annoying!

Source: Apples4theTeachers

Charlotte Looks Forward to School

by Beverly Beckham
Oct. 18, 2009

Editor’s Note: Beverly Beckham is an award-winning columnist who writes for The Boston Globe. She has five grandchildren.

We would like to know what you thing. We would love to hear stories of you and your grandchildren. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Charlotte has been looking forward to going to school for months. “I going to Castle School,” she has said all summer long. Her brother, Adam, and cousin, Lucy, were starting kindergarten. Her friend, Amy, was entering first grade. And though Charlotte is only 2, she insisted that she was going to school, too. All summer, every time we passed the Castle School, Charlotte would point and yell and smile.

So her mother, my daughter, signed her up for Castle School — two hours, two mornings a week. And when it was time for back-to-school shopping with Adam, she took Charlotte along and bought her new clothes, which Charlotte hung in the closet next to her brother’s. Charlotte also got a purple backpack, and new shoes — purple ones — which she strapped on in the shoe store (thank you, Velcro), pirouetted in a few times, and tested for their climbing ability.

A few weeks ago, on Adam’s first day of school, Charlotte dressed in one of her new outfits and stood beside him as he posed for pictures. “I going to school, too,” she said again and again, smiling for every picture.

A few mornings later her mother took her to the Castle School for a trial run. Charlotte met her teacher, saw her classroom, played with some toys, and then went home. Charlotte, it seemed, was good to go.

Finally, the big day dawned. This wasn’t a dress rehearsal anymore. Her big brother wasn’t standing beside her as she posed for pictures. Charlotte wasn’t just pretending to go to school. This was the real thing.

There was Charlotte at the Castle School, which is really a Unitarian church but the steeple has Charlotte fooled, dressed in a new pink and purple outfit, wearing her purple shoes, her backpack stuffed with pencils and snacks.

And there were her mother and father hugging her and kissing her and saying good-bye and I was hugging and kissing her, too. And there was Charlotte, whose litany, for weeks, for months has been “I going to Castle School! I going to Castle School!” suddenly … not happy at all. Suddenly, serious. Suddenly, mute! She said nothing. Not a word. Not a sigh. Not a sniffle. Not a sound.

Click went the cameras and Charlotte just stared. Whoosh went the videos and Charlotte just stood. “Charlotte!” somebody yelled and Charlotte didn’t even turn to look.

This little spitfire who just a few weeks ago walked fully dressed into a swimming pool, having announced “I swim,” as she jumped in, who sunk to the bottom then sputtered up, who was pulled out by her mother and a stranger and an ashen lifeguard, who on dry ground again didn’t wail or moan or even cough, who said only, “I need towel!” and then announced, “I swim ‘gin,” was this day in the parking lot of her beloved Castle School suddenly just a scared little 2-year-old.

How long did the good-bye process take? Twenty-six pictures? A few minutes of tape? A half-dozen hugs and kisses? A walk across a small parking lot? A short wait in line to file in? She filed in. And she never looked back.

“Bye, Charlotte! Bye! See you later. I love you,” we all yelled.

Charlotte didn’t turn. She didn’t react. She said nothing.

The big yellow door slammed closed and we left.

Two hours later, when her mother picked her up, she was back to her old chatterbox, why-walk-when-you-can -run, why-run-when-you-can-climb, fearless, crazy self. “Did you like school, Charlotte?”

She nodded. She skipped to the car. “I like Castle School. I play with crayons. I sing songs. I eat Cheez-Its.”

I look at the pictures I took just a few hours before. Charlotte’s first day of school. It’s a study in contrasts.

Children change even as you watch. Tentative one minute, tenacious the next. They’re 2 and then they’re 22, which is really why we watch, why we smile, why we take pictures and why we write.

 

 

Source: Grandparents

 

Special Olympics – Meet Ximena

A Special Angel Meet Ximena

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
Oct. 17, 2009

Editor’s Note: There are a lot of God’s special children in this world that you need your help. After reading this article, it doesn’t make you want to get involved we don’t know what would.

We hope you will enjoy the story below:

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

By Special Olympics
Oct. 17, 2009

On paper, Ximena de Varela may sound like a typical popular, high-achieving high school student. She is on the Honor Roll and sets high standards for herself at school.  But she is not like most of her classmates at Panama’s Colegio Brader. Until recently, she was the first and only student with special needs to attend her school.

Ximena has Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that leads to developmental delays and intellectual disability. Despite her disability, within days of meeting her new classmates, she formed new friendships and dispelled old attitudes about disabilities and capabilities. Her impact on and acceptance by the student body impressed the school so much that it opened its doors to other students with special needs. Now the school is an example for inclusion throughout the country. “Ximena is a role model for us and all of humanity,” states one classmate.

Inspired by Ximena, Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, herself a parent of a child with special needs, launched a national campaign promoting programs of inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities when she was first lady of the Republic of Panama. (The former first lady is also a member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.) Torrijos champions the work of Special Olympics and inclusion throughout Central America.

Special Olympics aren’t just making a difference; it’s driving a revolution, transforming the way people with and without disabilities think about one another and lives together. Special Olympics are committed to bringing youth with and without intellectual disabilities together in a spirit of cooperation and inclusion. Special Olympics’ outreach to youth and schools is happening now around the world. Special Olympics Unified Sports is uniting people with and without disabilities on the field of competition. Through Special Olympics Get Into It® school diversity curriculum, Project UNIFY and SO College, Special Olympics is working year-round to create bonds of understanding and friendship, both on and off the playing field.

Even in societies where people with disabilities are shunned or hidden away, Special Olympics is working to break down barriers and change attitudes of the young people who will be tomorrow’s leaders.

Every dollar you give to Special Olympics helps light the way to a better world. Even the smallest gift is enough to change one mind, one attitude, one life for the better.

What YOU Can Do

Whether you are an athlete looking to compete, a volunteer looking to make a difference, or you’re just looking to have fun and be a part of something — come be a part of Special Olympics, and experience your own story of transformation.

Source: Special Olympics

Mothers Die Every Year at Birth?

By Dr. Mercola
Oct. 17, 2009

More than 2 million babies and mothers die worldwide each year from childbirth complications, outnumbering child deaths from malaria. The study also showed that such deaths could be easily avoided.

Some 1.02 million babies are stillborn and another 904,000 die soon after birth. By comparison, 820,000 children die from malaria worldwide. About 42 percent of the world’s 536,000 maternal deaths also occur during childbirth.

The report said that many of the deaths could be avoided with improvements in basic health care, and training for local health care workers to perform lifesaving techniques.
Sources:   AOL News October 8, 2009

Teenager Inspires Us All

By Dr. Laura
Oct. 16, 2009

Editor’s Note: If you have an inspiring story, we would love to hear  from you. dan@youngchronicle.com We hope you will enjoy this story and it would inspire you to help others.

 

The Hartford Courant recently published an essay by Justin Verrier on a Connecticut female teenage swimmer.  “After swimming laps at a recent practice in the Glastonbury High School pool, Rachel Grusse told her coach, Suzi Hoyt, her shoulder felt sore.  Hoyt responded as she always does to such concerns by her swimmers.  Instructing Grusse to put on flippers and ‘kick for a little while’ to rest her arms.  ‘I just looked up at her and told her, Um…I don’t think I can do that, Grusse said, smiling.”

Remember the word smiling.  When Grusse was 16 months old, it was discovered that she was born without a spleen, and she contracted a form of bacterial pneumonia that cut off the blood flow to her extremities, which resulted in the cutting off of her legs at the base of her knees, as well as the last joint of her fingers.

Now, many teenage girls with just a few pimples would hide in their bedrooms, but not Rachel.  With the help of prosthetic legs, she has participated in all types of sports, including soccer and, most recently, wheelchair basketball, but swimming is her passion.  Since she has to rely on her upper body for swimming, she does a lot of upper body strengthening, like…walking on her hands!

Her comment?  “I’ve just heard some people say that I’m an example to other kids.  But to me, I don’t feel like I’m any different. I’m just doing what I can, and doing the best that I can. “

She swims against “normal” swimmers and rarely wins, but she loves the sport anyway.

She swims against others who are disabled and often places, but not always, and she loves the sport anyway.

Since she has no memory of having had legs, for her, it is kind of “normal” – the real amazing quality of hers is her attitude to just do what she can and do the best that she can.

Disabled or not, that is the winning attitude in life that ultimately brings you happiness.  She does what she loves and does the best she can at it.  Period.  There is a lesson in that for everyone.

Source: Dr Laura

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