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How To Be Prepared For (Almost) Anything! (By Ronee Le-Anne, aged 11) (For Sarah Tagert With Love!) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
A young girl lets us know how she deals with adversity in her own life and how others can do the same.
My life has been compared to an unending series of challenges or roadblocks on the road of life that I seem to encounter regularly.
I haven't had a very easy life; even from the start, I have had to struggle. But God saw fit to see me through, and this is why I am still here, 11 years later. I have had to go through things with my health that I wouldn't wish on my own worst enemy; and some of the stories I could tell could probably curl your hair (or make mine all the more so!), but I am still kickin' right along, and life is finally starting to get some semblence of order!
As you know by now (and I know you are probably getting sick and tired of me saying this by now; but it IS a fact of my life!), I am physically disabled. This is very apparent when you first catch sight of me; I am NOT easy to ignore, not with my bright teal green crutches or my braces on my legs! And my limping walk isn't easy to ignore either! (At times I am EMBARRASSED about the way I walk; I walk like a PENGUIN, and some of the kids at my school call me "Penguin-Girl" because OF how I walk!) I walk the way I do because I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which affects my joints and some of my organs in my body; and I have already had surgery once, to replace my knee. I also have to live with pain, and I have to take medications or have therapy or hot baths to help the pain. (I have had this stuff since I was almost five, and pain is something I have had to learn to live with and deal with on a day to day basis.) I also happen to be very short for my age, and I weigh less than 60 pounds. I am very little for my age, and at times it is a royal pain in my rearend because a lot of the kids in my class are way bigger than me, and some of the kids in my class (the girls) are way developed; and I still look like a little kid not older than the age of eight! But even with my being little or my disabilities, I am still able to laugh off MOST of my problems, and I am STILL able to enjoy life and all that it has to offer me.
My life is very good now. I am still singing and am still working extra hard to become a singer in country music; and I still enjoy singing very much. I also have been doing so much better, in terms of my allergies and asthma and stuff. That's another thing I have had to put up with since I was little: my BREATHING. Now breathing usually doesn't bother most people, and most people don't even THINK of it, but when one has something like asthma or allergies or has problems with breathing, all of a sudden breathing becomes VERY important. I do have asthma, and I DO have allergies; and I HAVE had breathing problems in the past. It is NOT fun being short of breath, and sometimes my breathing has gotten SO bad I couldn't get ANY air in OR out, and sometimes I got so dizzy and lightheaded, I would end up passing out; and when I would wake up later, I would find myself in a hospital bed, or in the back of a screaming and bumpy ambulance. That is NEVER any fun, and I especially hate it when they are sticking needles in me or doing that STUPID blood gas thing to check my oxygen levels in my blood!
I know I really can't help my asthma and stuff (it often sneaks up on me at times), but I CAN help prevent any problems by NOT eating peanuts or ALL nuts, or by staying away from BEES! I know that if I eat nuts of any kind or have stuff with nuts in it as part of the ingredients, I can get VERY sick in a hurry, and this is usually when I regret it. I also avoid wearing certain colors when I am around flowers because bees are attracted to certain colors, and if they sting me, I can get into trouble. I also don't wear much perfume in bee season; that is another way I can get stung if I am not careful. And I also don't try to swat at a bee or panic when they are near; but I sometimes can't help it. You have a buzzly bee flyin' around YOUR head, and see what YOU do; it DOESN'T help that I am allergic to the suckers, either! :(
I also get teased at times because of my being adopted; but I really don't see what all the fuss is about. I am lucky that a family chose ME to be their daughter, and I am lucky because MY family cares for me and loves me like I am their OWN kid; and that always makes me feel happy! The family I have now is the ONLY family I have REALLY ever known, and I am glad that I am their kid! I am sure that if I were with another family, my life wouldn't be as good as it is right now! So in that way, I am blessed!
But no matter what life has thrown at me, I have been able to overcome any obstacles (I call them "road blocks" or "detours"), and I am a better person because of what I have had to go through in my lifetime: the hospital stays and all the surgeries, all the times I have had to go to the emergency room for my breathing, the stares or comments (or teasing) from other kids (or even grownups who should have known better!), all the physical and occupational therapy sessions and having to endure being stretched in ways my body wasn't made to, and all this unending pain in my joints. I also have had to endure many doctor visits and have them running tests on me to see what's been going on with my body or having them poke me with needles (and if there is ONE thing I DO hate with a purple passion, it's NEEDLES!!). Even though I have had to be poked many times or go to doctors or to therapy, I am still ME, and I am just like ANY person on this Earth; the ONLY difference is that I am physically disabled, and that is NOT what makes me ME. It's what is on my INSIDE that makes me ME, not what is on the outside!
I have been through some incredibly scary times in my life; but I have also had very many happy and even unexpected times in my life; so it all works out evenly. I have been incredibly blessed by a very Loving God and Saviour who died for me and my sins; and I have been blessed to have been able to share my Gift for music with people on a very regular basis. Nothing makes me happier than singing in front of people or telling them what God has done for me. I have been able to show people that no matter what happens or what they go through, God is ALWAYS there, and He WILL help them through ALL problems they face; all they really have to do is call on Him and let Him take control. This is how I handle MY problems, be they physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, or whatever. He has ALWAYS been there for me, and He has shown me time and time again that He will NEVER give up on me! He has some BIG plans in store, and it is kinda' exciting to think about what they may be; but all I can do is go on, one day at a time, and enjoy all the blessings that He already HAS given me!
This is why, whenever I am ministering or talking to people, I tell them about God. Now, not EVERYONE believes in Him as I do, and not EVERYONE believes in the same God, but that is their right, and all I CAN do is tell them what God has done for me, and that if they are facing a problem, they CAN call on Him if they want to. Or they can go to whoever they believe in and ask that person (or their supreme being) to help them through their problems. I also tell them what I have had to endure in my life and how God has blessed me; and this is why I sing or tell others about Jesus. I also have been given a gift of writing, and this is why I have written so many stories or poems; and this is why I am presently working on a book about kids overcoming life's problems and telling them, too, about my life story, even though I am only eleven years old and am just a kid.
~Written by: Ronee' Le-Anne Reaux (aged 11) on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 (while on lunch break; written on my laptop computer).
(((Ronee' Le-Anne Reaux))) BIG HUGS to such a brave and lovley girl. You warm my heart and I will pray for you. May be you can pray for me too, the faith of a child is very strong. God Bless you sweet Girl, and a Happy New Year!
Love, Janet (Karen & Karla's friend in Texas) xoxoxoxo
You are a gift to the Den. Terrific write, most inspiring. Thank you very much for your comments on my short story. You are one of the few who read it and commented on it. Thanks again
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