Living Life With Dignity

I met Andy when I moved to a new town for my first job after graduate school.  He struggled with many challenges. He had difficulty learning to speak, delays in his physical development and other learning problems. Doctors and other health professionals expected that Andy would likely do poorly in school and be limited in sports or other physical activities. But Andy had a secret weapon: a mother who was patient with him and worked hard helping him develop.

By the time I met Andy, he was playing basketball (well enough to have fun, but not well enough to be on the school team) and he was doing average work in school. We shot hoops together, rode his skateboard down the hill where we lived (I nearly killed myself), and got to know and become friends with people of all ages in our neighborhood.  He helped me with some work projects for my new job, making and passing out flyers, running errands, putting together information packets, etc.

One morning about 7:00 a.m. two young neighbor girls knocked on the door. They informed me that during the night Andy died unexpectedly, he was 15. Naturally I was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of my young friend.

I believe Andy died with dignity. Why? Because he lived with dignity as he accepted his challenges and moved forward with his life. He took advantage of his talents and used them to become the best he could be. He refused to feel sorry for himself and he didn’t try to be someone other than himself. He was not wealthy or accomplished or known outside his small community, but he lived his life with dignity, which served him well.

As parents one of the best things we can do for our children is to help them develop dignity by accepting themselves for who they are and then helping them become the best they can become.