To the Boy With Cerebral Palsy Who's Embarrassed About His Differences

I’m blessed to be a caregiver to two of the best kids in the world. Over the past four years, I’ve seen them grow and transform into amazing children. I’m writing this letter to the 7–year–old boy I take care of. He has cerebral palsy, and lately he’s noticed his differences from other children. Since his are more physical, he’s embarrassed and has grown very sensitive about them. I want him to know everyone has their strengths, and differences are what make us awesome.

I wrote a letter of all the things I hope he remembers and focuses on when he feels embarrassed. Sometimes you need to hear how amazing you are through other people’s eyes to really start believing it yourself. 

To this 7-year-old boy,

I hope you see how many people you impact. I hope you see the way you light up a room the second you step foot inside. The way your friends walk proudly with you, so thankful to be your friend.

I hope you know everyone has their struggles and strengths. I hope you know no matter how hard it may seem sometimes, there are a million people in your corner rooting for everything you do. You will never walk alone. You can prove anyone wrong by being the best you can be.

I hope you know you can do anything you want to in this life. You can dream big with no limits, and you can change the world by just being you. I hope you embrace your differences and display them proudly to the world. The world would be boring if everyone was the same, and I’m so glad you are who you are. I hope you know, although Captain America and the Hulk don’t use a walker, you can be just as Mighty as any Avenger out there. You may not be able to websling from buildings or fly through the air, but you can fight your own crime and be your own kind of superhero.

I hope you keep your eyes and ears open to things you can change. I hope you fight for your rights and fight alongside those hoping for full inclusion in society. Never settle.

I hope you see how you make everyone you meet feel special and loved. You make everyone feel important and never fail to allow anyone to be themselves.

Don’t ever be ashamed or embarrassed of who you are. You are you, and trust me, there is nothing better. Now go move mountains, kid.

The Mighty is asking its readers the following: Describe a time you saw your disability, illness and/or disease through the eyes of someone else. If you’d like to participate, please send a blog post to community@themighty.com. Please include a photo for the piece, a photo of yourself and 1-2 sentence bio. Check out our “Share Your Story” page for more about our submission guidelines.