“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Corey,
People frequently ask me how do you never give up and never give in? My answer is consistent; you were born with a stubborn determination.

This quote reminds me of you. Not that you’d ever listen to the mustn’ts, don’ts, shouldn’ts, the impossibles or the won’ts. On the contrary; you’re entire life has been arguing back against what and who you didn’t agree with. You have refused to listen because you knew what could be, what you wanted to do and how you were going to do it! AND you were going to tell everyone just how it would, should and could be done.

I remember your junior year of high school. I received a call from the Vice Principal. You had a disagreement with one of your teachers about how the class was taught along with how the course should be graded for homework and tests. He told me you organized a small group of students to “voice” their collective opinions in a “discussion” with the VP. What astonished me was when the teacher called me as well. He told me that although he disagreed with your approach to the ‘discussion’, he gave your argument careful consideration and would be changing his method of teaching and restructuring his grading format.

This attribute hasn’t changed. You wake up everyday to fight, argue and defy what you won’t accept…limitations. It’s not easy. It’s exhausting. It’s physically and emotionally painful, but you still get up and do it. You fight and yell at us but you are determined to make a change. You stand up, walk, lift, climb and if we ask for 10 reps you tell us 12, 15 or 20 even when you don’t think you have the strength. You pause, inhale deeply, then go for it to prove you can do it.

Today was another tough day for you. You wanted to give up. You told me “of all my broken parts I wish I could remember things. I wish I was normal. I wish I could be on my own”.

Look at your reflection in the mirror honey and listen close to me…Anything can happen, Corey. Anything can be, xoxo