I'll Find a Way This Time

Before I was born, my family had a beautiful life.

Dad had a respectable management job. Mom was a gentle stay-at-home mother. My older sister was smart, bright, the kind of kid adults loved to brag about.

Then I came along.

Moderate cerebral palsy. Severe damage to both movement and cognition.

I was ten before I could barely walk with crutches. My words never came out right. I could not even write my own name.

Mom’s pretty face grew duller by the day. Dad and my sister stayed away from home longer and longer.

One day, when I was fifteen, I sat on the couch staring blankly at the TV.