Editor's Note: I hope you enjoyed Part I of my life's mini-memoir, such as a memoir can be when you're only 28. Here's Part II...I'd love to hear what you think! Email me, as always, at mellow1422@aol.com with your thoughts. I can't wait to hear from you.
But away from waiting rooms and needles, I was a typical child. I loved visiting my grandparents in Alabama at Christmas and swimming all day during the summer. I spent countless hours hanging out with friends, and in my childlike mind, it should have been declared a national holiday when I learned how to save the Princess in Super Mario Brothers.
I thank my parents for giving me this normalcy. At home, I wasn't disabled. I was just Melissa. My mom planted the seed in me at a very young age that I could do anything I wanted, and that I should never let my disability stop me or use it as an excuse. I think this is what made me reach for so many things in life.
In high school, I was a member of the National Honor Society, and in college, I was editor-in-chief of my school newspaper. I don't know if I would have had the confidence to push myself if my parents hadn't been there, cheering me on and always willing to give me a reality check if I ever got down on myself. When I started a four-year university, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed. My parents took me out for lunch on my first day and told me, "Did you see that visually impaired student walking around campus? You have it much easier than that, so be thankful that you have the opportunity to get an education."
Their talk stuck and I went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University in 2005 with a degree in Journalism.
It was also my parents who pushed me to be as independent as possible - even when I didn't want to be! I'd try to be coy and say "I'm a handicap, so..." And that's about as far as I would ever get. My parents would stop me midsentence, and my father, with his stern voice, would say, "Don't doubt yourself." When he died 3 years ago, I made it my mission to become even more independent. In college, I was more independent than I'd ever been before. I went to classes and worked on my college newspaper. I experienced a new sense of freedom, and this freedom helped me grow as a person. Because I spent the majority of my childhood consumed with medical things, I always felt like I was behind my peers - they had done so much more than me, experienced so much more than me. In short, they just lived.
But being more independent and self-sufficient has given me more life experiences, and I'm very thankful for that. My independence has also taught me that I can do a lot more than I thought I could. Granted, simple tasks such as cleaning and food preparation take me a bit longer than able-bodied people, but doing them myself gives me a new sense of power and strength.
Waiting for the gripping conclusion? Check back tomorrow for the grand finale.
