HAWMC -Day 2 Quotes

HAWMC Day #2: Quotation Inspiration. Find a quote that inspires you (either positively or negatively) and free write about it for 15 minutes.


I am very fond of quotes so you would think this would come very naturally to me. I use quotes quite regularly but the reality of choosing just one is hard. I tend to start with a picture and that guides me in my choices for quotes. I wrote a bit on the topic of my meaningful quote almost exactly a year ago when I was reaching the end of Occupational therapy and I was changing the picture and quote on the front of my therapy resource binder. It had been a year with a lot of growth and improvement for me and maybe it is time to reflect on the whole experience.

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, 

but in rising up every time we fail.  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am always stretching for the next challenge.  I am frequently asking myself "What the heck were you thinking trying to do that?" but I get over it and try again. Sometimes I succeed but it usually requires an awful lot of "rising again".

 A few years back I would not have described myself as a determined person. Many things came very easily for me. I now realize what it means to work hard and persevere. I have been gifted to meet so many strong and determined people with a variety challenges, many far greater than mine, and I watch in awe as they meet each new day with such courage.

My 23 year old says I should quote myself. She says I spend a lot of time saying "NO! I want to do it myself!"  My family and friends worry about my independent attitude and are afraid that because of my balance issues I will fall and hurt myself, and they are afraid that I will be crushed by disappointment for things I am not successful with. I keep coming back to the idea that if you don't try,  if you don't push yourself, how can you ever know what you are truly capable of or what joy your efforts might bring to your life or that of others.  Perhaps you can relearn skills, perhaps  adaptive technology will let you reach your goals. Maybe a friend assisting you will bring joy to their lives as well as yours.

My family makes me want to try harder.  I want to be active with them and I want to be a vital part of  the lives of my my children and grandchildren.  There is so much to see and do, and I want to be doing all that I possibly can, even if it means a few falls and a few failures.