A hero

I often say that Lilah is my hero. That she is the strongest woman I know. I also say that she will change the world. Her.

The person who is the hero usually has to fight harder than others, demand more from themselves, and has an incredible support system behind them.



The heroes don't see it in themselves. They don't know their potential. They don't see that they are the light that will change history.


I believe that Lilah will change history. I believe she is doing that as we speak.


I know she is changing the way people view children with special needs. I believe that people are drawn to her. Drawn to know her, get to know her, help her, help her succeed.

People with disabilities are often looked down upon. People will sometimes only see the disability and not the person.

Here is an example...

Someone very close to Lilah admitted to being nervous to meeting her for the first time. Afraid of how to act, react, how she would be, etc. This person has said that the first time they met her, they were in love with her. This person has said many times over that Lilah is their best friend and that they could not imagine their life without her.

Fear can either motivate or debilitate. 

After seeing the movie "42" I was overcome with a massive "God wink." It was an intense feeling of "Go write Katie. Lay it out."

When Jackie Robinson first played baseball he was faced with so much. Racism, criticism, doubt, fear.

He faced many people who were ignorant. Now, before you get frustrated by my use of that word. Please read the definition...

Ignorance is a state of being uninformed (lack of knowledge).^[1] The word ignorant is an adjective describing a person in the state of being unaware and is often used as an insult to describe individuals who deliberately ignore or disregard important information or facts. Ignoramus is commonly used in the US, the UK, and Ireland as a term for someone who is willfully ignorant.

Jackie Robinson faced many ignorant people. Some who wanted to hate him. Others who were taught that hate by their parents. He was also loved by many. But, his admiration was not immediate. He had to fight for the recognition. He had to fight for his spot in the Major Leagues. But, he had to control himself. How he responded to such hate. He had a choice to retaliate or he could do what he did...He worked harder and harder. He let his talent on the field speak for itself. He earned his right to play. And be in the hall of fame. To many, He is a hero.

Many are ignorant on how to treat people with special needs. So many people use the word "retarded" or "retard" in their everyday language. Many have no idea the negative impact that word has. Many are unaware of the pain that is associated. The tears that come with hearing that word. But, there are some who are "willfully ignorant." People who choose to use the word because it gets them some sort of attention, recognition, laughter, you name it. Please take the word RETARD and RETARDED out of your vocabulary. For Lilah.

Let's look at it like this...
We have a choice on how we treat people on this earth. We can judge them. All of them. Or we can love them. All of them.

We can open our eyes to the need to help, we can open our hearts to someone who may need you to be a tad more patient, listen as they try to speak. We can also choose to close our eyes to those who are differently-abled and ignore them.

What WE do, and how WE behave is up to us. We have the ability to change the world.

We have the ability to BE the hero.

Watching Lilah at therapy EVERY day, I see the fight my little bumblebee has in her. I see her determination. I see her fear that tries to keep her in her shell. I also see her potential. I choose to help her. I choose to love her. All of her. My hero is Lilah.