Throughout my childhood I have experienced more hardships than most adults have to go through in their entire lives. In my short 17 years of life I have been through 5 divorces between my parents. Having a new step mother or father every few years was rough, but the constant moving was worse. My father’s diagnoses with cancer tore me apart emotionally, and his two heart attacks and battle with diabetes put a huge strain on the family. By the age of 13, I was depressed and emotionally scarred. I felt like I had no one to turn to, and that nothing would ever get better. But there was one girl that I met a few years ago who changed my perspective on life entirely.
For years, I volunteered at a horseback riding camp for special needs children and adults over the summers. We taught them specialized skills based on their disabilities. For example we would teach a child with autism communication skills, or a child with cerebral palsy strength building exercises. We would get assigned a specific child each eight week session to work with exclusively, in order to build a trusting relationship with them. It was honestly a life changing experience, and seeing the improvement in each child day after day and the smiles that came to their faces every time they saw me was heartwarming.
A few weeks into the summer session of 2012, I was asked to come in and cover for a girl who couldn’t come in to teach that day because of an illness. And that was the day my outlook on life changed forever. I was assigned to a girl with severe brain injury named Maggie. At first I didn’t really know what to expect. She has no vocal skills, and limited physical mobility, but was in no way shy. As I began to work with her, I looked through her file to get more information. It was heartbreaking. She had been physically abused as a newborn, and into infancy. Her birth parents abused her sexually and physically to the point of serious brain injury at the age of 2. Her skull had been broken, and the damage was irreversible. She had gone from foster home to foster home and never had a sense of stability. But the amazing part about Maggie was that she never let it get to her.
When I met Maggie, she was 12 years old, and the only thing she would say was “I’m Happy!” That was the extent to her vocabulary. Everyone at the camp referred to her as Happy Maggie. Everyone loved her. She was never in a bad mood, and would try anything and do anything anyone asked of her. She was the happiest girl I have ever met in my life. The answer to any question I asked her was “I’m Happy!” What did you eat for breakfast? How was your day? What’s your favorite color? How old are you? “I’m Happy!” She loved life. She loved everyone and everything she came in contact with. I remember wondering if it was all an act. If on the inside she was broken, or if her brain was so far gone that the only emotion she could express or feel was happiness. I could only hope. In a twisted way, her brain injuries help her get through the terrible agony of her childhood. No matter what, she’s happy, she loves everyone and everything unconditionally, and she definitely taught me something.
My life growing up was a huge struggle, but I can’t let anything get in the way of my happiness. Nothing bad in life should be enough to change the person I am, and the person I can potentially be. Seeing what she had gone through and her complete and utter joy just to wake up every morning gave me strength. If I learned anything from Maggie, it would be: no matter what, just be happy.
For years, I volunteered at a horseback riding camp for special needs children and adults over the summers. We taught them specialized skills based on their disabilities. For example we would teach a child with autism communication skills, or a child with cerebral palsy strength building exercises. We would get assigned a specific child each eight week session to work with exclusively, in order to build a trusting relationship with them. It was honestly a life changing experience, and seeing the improvement in each child day after day and the smiles that came to their faces every time they saw me was heartwarming.
A few weeks into the summer session of 2012, I was asked to come in and cover for a girl who couldn’t come in to teach that day because of an illness. And that was the day my outlook on life changed forever. I was assigned to a girl with severe brain injury named Maggie. At first I didn’t really know what to expect. She has no vocal skills, and limited physical mobility, but was in no way shy. As I began to work with her, I looked through her file to get more information. It was heartbreaking. She had been physically abused as a newborn, and into infancy. Her birth parents abused her sexually and physically to the point of serious brain injury at the age of 2. Her skull had been broken, and the damage was irreversible. She had gone from foster home to foster home and never had a sense of stability. But the amazing part about Maggie was that she never let it get to her.
When I met Maggie, she was 12 years old, and the only thing she would say was “I’m Happy!” That was the extent to her vocabulary. Everyone at the camp referred to her as Happy Maggie. Everyone loved her. She was never in a bad mood, and would try anything and do anything anyone asked of her. She was the happiest girl I have ever met in my life. The answer to any question I asked her was “I’m Happy!” What did you eat for breakfast? How was your day? What’s your favorite color? How old are you? “I’m Happy!” She loved life. She loved everyone and everything she came in contact with. I remember wondering if it was all an act. If on the inside she was broken, or if her brain was so far gone that the only emotion she could express or feel was happiness. I could only hope. In a twisted way, her brain injuries help her get through the terrible agony of her childhood. No matter what, she’s happy, she loves everyone and everything unconditionally, and she definitely taught me something.
My life growing up was a huge struggle, but I can’t let anything get in the way of my happiness. Nothing bad in life should be enough to change the person I am, and the person I can potentially be. Seeing what she had gone through and her complete and utter joy just to wake up every morning gave me strength. If I learned anything from Maggie, it would be: no matter what, just be happy.
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