Empowering Words of Life

Inspiring words that influenced my life

      Empowering Words of Life

    (c) 2012 Thomas J. Heeren

 

I was born with cerebral palsy and also profoundly deaf, but my life has been one of hearing encouraging words that dispelled the naysayers of what I knew I could accomplish as I listened to my family, friends, acquaintances and even some famous names and faces.

Mrs. Timmy McDonald, my kindergarten, first and second grade teacher taught me to love myself for who I was. She reinforced the fact that I must pursue lipreading to live in an oral world and to overcome my disability as well as inspire others with my courage, making the world aware of people who may be different. Though Mrs. McDonald passed away a decade ago, her words of inspiration still echo that encouragement is a strong asset in enhancing a person’s self-esteem and accomplishments.

My late maternal grandfather, Fred Coupland, instilled in me a desire to carry on my proud heritage of Great Britain. Grandpa Coupland taught me to be strong in myself as I dealt with disappointment, joy and sadness. He was determined to teach me that the British have a stiff upper lip and a willingness to face the future with a sense of humor. Grandpa Coupland encouraged me to believe in myself and to carry on the hope of shaping a culturally diverse America.

Nana Cookie, my maternal grandmother, possessed a love for God and the Episcopal Church. She set an example for me to follow. Her profound belief in God led me to examine the challenges of my life and meet them with patience and a certain devotion to God. When I became discouraged by failing an exam or not doing my best, Nana Cookie urged me to pray to God for His assurance that I could succeed.

Empowering Words of Life 2

Nana Cookie showed me that a strong belief in Providence would make a difference as I matured

into manhood.

My oldest and youngest brothers, Tim and Thane taught me to endure adversity in a changing society. They even instructed me to take risks to achieve my goals.. Despite their gentle and comical teasing, Tim and Thane motivated me to think critically and to broaden my outlook on life. I am indebted to them for making me a formidable person despite the many obstacles I face daily.

Lastly, my parents bestowed upon me hope to persevere and realize what may seem to be hopeless handicaps are the building materials for an uniquely strong and beautiful life!

Reviews

[Jacob Clifford]

Great message here. It's so true that one can achieve anything he puts his mind to.

[Matty Bosox]

This is awesome work!! Terrific writing and amazing wording...Very inspirational and extremely positive...You've done a great job in showing readers that nothing can slow you down in life, you just have to be able to fight back....Keep it up Tom...If you like screenplays or graphic novels check out my project if you want