When my youngest was a teeny tiny newborn (teeny tiny he is no more), my boys were given a book called Unstoppable Me. The story’s all about Makana the surfing lion who wants to give up when she’s pummeled again by a ferocious wave. It’s written by Adam Dirks and Bethany Hamilton.
Bethany Hamilton knows a thing or two about how challenging life can be. As a 13-year-old up-and-coming surfer, tragedy struck when she lost her left arm to a tiger shark. Everyone assumed this would extinguish the rising star’s dreams, but not 4 weeks later, she was out on the waves again. Bethany has gone on to become a champion surfer, an awe-inspiring international speaker and a best-selling author. Her infectiously positive spirit and her unshakeable faith, has inspired people world-wide to live their best lives.
My three littles also know about life’s challenges… My big little, now 5-and-a-half, has had sensory-integration issues since birth. This can make the world an incredibly overwhelming and, at times, scary place. My middle little and my little little both have a genetic condition (inherited from Yours Truly) which causes contractures of the hands and feet. This can result in anything from clubfoot to vertical talus to hypoplastic thumbs – big names which simply mean that the hands and feet don’t function properly. Needless to say, we’ve seen our fair share of doctors, therapists and plenty random artwork on hospital hallways (if you’ve ever paced through the passages of a hospital, you’ll know what I’m talking about).
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