Jessica Long: Strength, Perseverance, and Determination

99th post! Yay! So, it's picture time! I was going through the week with absolutely NO ideas for a picture post at all and then all of a sudden, 2 hit me. So, the one I will choose first was inspired by my mom. Yesterday, she was talking about how there are so many people out there that lose things like their legs or arms. No matter what it is, they keep going and they keep living life. They don't let that stop them and move on.  She was talking about her desire to be like this. Not to the extreme of losing body parts, but just being able to take any situation, embrace it and move on from it.  When she was talking about this, I had the perfect example.  I used to get the Brio magazine, when it existed and one month there was a feature, cover article on a girl names Jessica Long.  She is an olympic swimmer that has won 9 championship gold medals.  But she won these medals without legs.

Jessica grew up in an orphanage when she was a child, and then she was adopted by her parents when she was 2 years old.  They adopted her knowing that she didn't have most of her legs.  Jessica grew up, like anyone would expect, struggling a little with her condition at first, but now she says she would not change it for the world.  Although Jessica realizes, she can't do everything, she plays basketball, swims, does gymnastics, roller blades, skis, was a cheerleader, etc. She is only 17 years old.  I don't do any of this now, and I have 2 full legs.  Jessica never took any physical therapy and stayed determined through her whole life to learn to do things on her own without any help. She used to fall over a lot when she first wore her prosthetic legs. Her parents tried to help her, but she didn't let them. She embraced who she was and said she would learn to do all these things on her own.  As she grew up, Jessica has competed in many, many Olympics and won many times.  She does things that even normal people can't do. 
      Jessica's life has had things happen to her that most of us couldn't imagine.  She grew up without legs and she was adopted.  Jessica didn't let those things in her life bring her down or keep her from reaching her goals. She had determination, perseverance, and strength.  She moved on from those problems and embraced them. That's who she is and she knows it.  Jessica is still doing these things, accomplishing her goals. She let her problems or her diabilities make her stronger and she said herself she wouldn't change it for the world.  33 American records, 15 world records, and 3 gold medals.  All of these came from that mind set of not letting anything get in the way. This is her life and she plans to live it to the fullest.

(Learn more about Jessica- *HERE* and on her *WEBSITE*)

Disability or none, we all need to be like this.  We were all made a certain way and no matter how difficult and hard life gets, we will always be the same person.  Those difficult times and those hard things can't stop is from living our life.  We just have to push past them and move on to greater things.  That's determination and that's strength. 

*Amy :)