You Are You

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." -Dr. Suess. Take this quote in reference to butterflies emerging from a cocoon, struggling to escape ones' prison. Butterflies will beat their wings vigorously against the walls of the cocoon to escape, causing them to struggle and lose strength. The only chance of survival is to gain the necessary strength and break through the shelter. Children are much akin to butterflies; children all struggle to escape their own life's cocoon. Each child beats their wings, slowly but surely, in which they muscle enough strength to emerge and overcome all obstacles. And a child with special needs may emerge more slowly, and with a greater extent of struggles.

As the sister of a special needs child, there's this want and need to just take over and just shred apart their cocoon to free them, but in all reality, it's improbable. Even with special needs, that child must free themselves from their own cocoon. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19% of Americans are classified as a person with a disability, which equals the population of the states CA and FL combined. Over the years, I have seen my sister grow and emerge from the tightly-sealed cocoon. What might take me simply minutes to study, could take hours for my sister to comprehend. My sister grew and transformed from that tiny caterpillar, surpassing the rest and graduating with a high school diploma. Although it was much of a struggle, my sister emerged into a beautiful creature.

To conclude, even if a child has special needs, they must overcome their own obstacles and free themselves from their cocoon. To cut them loose would cheat them out of their full potential and their chance to grow. "There is no one alive that is Youer than You," let the children be their own butterfly, although it might take some a little longer than others.