A DIFFERENT KIND OF HERO

[This is from one of the myriad email lists I belong to and thought I would share it with y’all…]

My daughter wrote this essay about her brother for the annual PTA sponsored Reflections contest. She was selected as a finalist from her school, and her piece was submitted to the district level. Unfortunately, she did not advance any further, those knuckleheads don’t know a good thing when they see it LOL. Anyway, I am very proud of her essay, and I thought you may want to share it with the people on your list, and they can pass it on to whomever they wish as well. She is 12 years old, and I think she has a better understanding of what is going on in this world than most adults do.

Thanks
Janine L******

A DIFFERENT KIND OF HERO

Everyday he gets up. He has to be helped in the bathroom. He needs to be cleaned and eating his breakfast is really hard. He hates to eat; sometimes just smelling food makes him gag. He smells everything.

He gets dressed with help, and than they come to our house or he gets on a bus and he goes to them. They teach him how to walk, how to use a fork and spoon, how to speak and how to look at you when you call his name.

He has no friends, but he is always busy. He hardly talks, but most of the time when the phone rings it is for him. I am talking about my baby brother. He is 3 years old, I am 12. Even though I am older, I look up to him now, and I probably always will. He is my different kind of hero.

He has Autism. Everyday is a struggle for him to learn how to do the things we do. Like going to the bathroom. Putting on your clothes, eating a bowl of cereal, or just saying good morning.

Instead of getting to play with a bunch of little kids like other 3 year olds, he is busy inside classrooms learning how to be a person. Some people think that a kid with autism has no feelings, not true. I say they have too many feelings.

With my brother in my life I can now see kids who have the same disability. I see how it is for them. I think about when my brother gets older, and I know he will always be different. I know that he will get laughed at, and I know he will not have many friends. All I can say is I feel sorry for the people who will never give him a chance to shine. They will be missing out on the greatest thing in the whole world and that is simply him, my brother with Autism.

He is my different kind of hero plain and simple. He has made me see that not everyone is perfect. He has taught me without even having to speak a word that life is what you make of it. Either you get up every day and do your best, or you get up and give up. Like I said, he is only 3 years old, but he is so smart. He will probably never realize just how much he has taught me.

Just how much he means to me, and just how much I will continue to learn from him and use in my life. I am a better person for knowing him, and having him. He inspires me, and he is such a great teacher, He will always have me, and I will always have him. I hope that through him I can help other people out there understand what it is like for a kid like my brother. I am a better person because of him, and to me there is no greater hero than one who can teach you how to be human, and humble.