In Memory of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
-by Bruce Newman
Being the father of a very special needs child opens a person to a wide range of emotions. I remember when my daughter was born, thanking God for her presence and health. I hadn’t cared whether my child was female or male; my main concern focusing on his/her health. My daughter is now a teenager and both physically and mentally handicapped. Along the way, I learned that special needs people are just that – people, with wants, needs and desires, just like every person on this earth. My daughter is a wonderful young lady, sweet, curious and quite frankly, a bright shining light in my life.
My daughter loves Special Olympics. For many years she competed in several events and won quite a number of medals. The thrill exhibited by my daughter - and all of the competitors - can easily be expressed in their radiant smiles of pure joy when winning a medal or ribbon. (Note: everyone wins a medal or ribbon.) I remember the first time my daughter ran the 60 meter dash. When the starting gun went off, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction. (No matter, race officials quickly intervened and pointed her in the correct direction.)
Last week, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics died at the age of 88. I never spoke with her or met her, but she was a great lady. What she has done for all of the Special Olympians is monumental. She created a movement that focused on the individual and celebrated their achievement.
No, my daughter won’t set the world record in the sprint or even a throw a softball more than 15 feet – and that’s okay. She competed - as did all the participants. And they received both tangible awards – medals and ribbons and intangible awards – being honored for their achievements. In this world of high expectations, that they finished and achieved their goals sufficed which by itself, was a cause for celebration. (Maybe they could teach us a lesson, here.) One proud participant wore her medal for weeks after the Special Olympics ended – it meant that much to her.
Mrs. Shriver’s legacy is worldwide. I used to play tennis with a priest – an ex-navy seal and one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. (I used to joke that I invited the priest over for dinner but not our rabbi.) After spending five years in this country, he was sent abroad on several long-term missions. As of our last correspondence (which unfortunately, was several years ago), he was running the Special Olympics in a northern province in India.
Most people work very hard at all phases of life: their job, their family and even the maintaining of their beliefs. We all get into ruts where we struggle to survive and don’t have the time or energy to look at the bigger picture. It takes a special person to have the vision, desire and persistence to make it become a reality.
In this non-stop world in which every moment of our lives are seemingly occupied, it is crucial to recognize the accomplishments of those rare individuals like Eunice Kennedy Shriver who made the lives of hundreds of thousands of special needs individuals a little brighter.
Bruce Newman is the Vice President at the Productivity Institute, LLC, the editor-in-chief of its newsletter and was, for several years, a Special Olympics volunteer.
-by Bruce Newman
Being the father of a very special needs child opens a person to a wide range of emotions. I remember when my daughter was born, thanking God for her presence and health. I hadn’t cared whether my child was female or male; my main concern focusing on his/her health. My daughter is now a teenager and both physically and mentally handicapped. Along the way, I learned that special needs people are just that – people, with wants, needs and desires, just like every person on this earth. My daughter is a wonderful young lady, sweet, curious and quite frankly, a bright shining light in my life.
My daughter loves Special Olympics. For many years she competed in several events and won quite a number of medals. The thrill exhibited by my daughter - and all of the competitors - can easily be expressed in their radiant smiles of pure joy when winning a medal or ribbon. (Note: everyone wins a medal or ribbon.) I remember the first time my daughter ran the 60 meter dash. When the starting gun went off, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction. (No matter, race officials quickly intervened and pointed her in the correct direction.)
Last week, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics died at the age of 88. I never spoke with her or met her, but she was a great lady. What she has done for all of the Special Olympians is monumental. She created a movement that focused on the individual and celebrated their achievement.
No, my daughter won’t set the world record in the sprint or even a throw a softball more than 15 feet – and that’s okay. She competed - as did all the participants. And they received both tangible awards – medals and ribbons and intangible awards – being honored for their achievements. In this world of high expectations, that they finished and achieved their goals sufficed which by itself, was a cause for celebration. (Maybe they could teach us a lesson, here.) One proud participant wore her medal for weeks after the Special Olympics ended – it meant that much to her.
Mrs. Shriver’s legacy is worldwide. I used to play tennis with a priest – an ex-navy seal and one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. (I used to joke that I invited the priest over for dinner but not our rabbi.) After spending five years in this country, he was sent abroad on several long-term missions. As of our last correspondence (which unfortunately, was several years ago), he was running the Special Olympics in a northern province in India.
Most people work very hard at all phases of life: their job, their family and even the maintaining of their beliefs. We all get into ruts where we struggle to survive and don’t have the time or energy to look at the bigger picture. It takes a special person to have the vision, desire and persistence to make it become a reality.
In this non-stop world in which every moment of our lives are seemingly occupied, it is crucial to recognize the accomplishments of those rare individuals like Eunice Kennedy Shriver who made the lives of hundreds of thousands of special needs individuals a little brighter.
Bruce Newman is the Vice President at the Productivity Institute, LLC, the editor-in-chief of its newsletter and was, for several years, a Special Olympics volunteer.
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