5 posts tagged “nature made”

How are you a better person today than you were ten years ago?
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 Well ten years ago I was still in high school, so I definitely have accomplished a lot. Got a degree and now have a great job! I also have learned so much in the last 10 years about living life...

How do you define greatness?
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 It's hard for me to define greatness. To me, greatness is being awesome. Greatness is achieving your goals. Greatness is also appreciation.

What's a little thing you do every day that brightens the lives of those around you?
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I try to appreciate all of my friends and coworkers, and let them know it!  

What challenges in life have you conquered and emerged from a better person?
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I wouldn't necessarily say I would have conquered this, but there is definitely a significant challenge that sticks out in my mind when asked this question - my brother.

My brother is only a year younger than me. But my brother has Angelman syndrome, so he is technically mentally retarded. Growing up I didn't realize the challenges my mom and dad faced, but as I look back I realize all the things they went through. My brother can't really speak too well, but he can understand what we are saying to him. He can walk and feed himself, but he needs help dressing himself, and of course needs to be supervised at all times. When we went to the same elementary school, I had to help walk him to school. At the time, I was usually embarassed. Hey - everyone else had normal siblings and here is my brother who can't even talk correctly. But now that I look back on it, I'm a little ashamed of feeling embarassed.

Over the years, it has gotten increasingly challenging for my parents. Ben will throw tantrums now, and it's frustrating when he can't communicate to us what he's feeling. Our whole family has learned that we all have to be patient and understanding when it comes to my brother. But I try and apply that to my daily life.

I definitely feel like my brother has made me a better person. When he was in high school/adult day care, I enjoyed picking him and visiting with his other classmates - they were also severely handicapped. 

Also, I try to tell my friends not throw around the word "retarded". It's a pet peeve of mine, and I definitely cringe when people say "that's so retarded."

Greatness is not a destination, but a journey. What do you do for your family, career or community that you’re most proud of?
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I spend as much time as I can with my family, whether it's taking my cousins to swimming or watching my brother's basketball games. We always get together for each of the birthdays and it's always a good time. Just spending time with them makes me proud of all of them...