Today is Monday, December 9th, 2013; Karen's Korner #2711
A second excerpt from the book "Be The Mericle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible" by Regina Brett. Chapter 40 was titled "Aim Higher":
"Bonnie St. John lost her right leg at five years old to a bone disorder.
"She jokingly refers to herself as a one-legged African American girl from San Diego with no money and no snow who took up skiing.
"As a black woman with one leg, she's face more hurdles than most. She's survived child sexual abuse, family dysfunction, divorce, race and gender discrimination, and navigating the world on an artificial limb. I met Bonnie at a conference in Worcester, Massachusetts. I was the breakfast keynote speaker; she was the lunch keynote speaker.
"She wore a skirt and as close to heels as she could get while wearing a titanium leg. I loved that she didn't try to disguise her artificial leg.
"'You want to see a miracle?' she asked the crowd.
"She walked across the stage.
"The audience went wild with applause.
"Bonnie often goes to hospitals to visit patients give talks to people who are facing obstacles that seem insurmountable like hers once did. She met one mother whose 13-year-old son had been horribly burned on his face and arms. The mother turned to Bonnie and asked, 'Will my son ever live a normal life?'
"I expected Bonnie to promise, 'Of course he will.' She shocked me with her answer.
"'No.' Bonnie said. 'He should aim higher.'
*****
Here is a partial list of what Bonnie did/has done herself, as she 'aimed higher:
** She was the first African American to win Olympic medals in ski racing, winning the silver and two bronze medals in downhill skiing at the 1984 Paralympics in Austria.
** She graduated with honors from Harvard University, won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, and was appointed to the White House National Economic Council under President Bill Clinton.
** Her goal in life is to spread joy, encouraging people to relish the joy they already have!
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