Recently I was approached by a mother of a young child who had recently gotten diagnosed . She looked at me with her tear filled eyes after over hearing me talk to the doctor about my son and came up to and said, " How do you stand up straight and not break down and how do you smile after knowing your child will never have a future ?, how are you so strong where do you get your strength from ,because I don't think I can survive?" When I initially saw her with her child I connected to her pain right from the get go, I saw her eyes I saw her frown I knew as a mother what I'm about to witness and was already thinking of a way to just go up to her hold her hand and tell her there's hope, I want to help you ..but how would I do that ? I wish someone would have done that for me when my son was diagnosed............but anyways ...... those questions brought back so memories for me that ,it was she had had blew off a bunch of leaves off the ground, that were covering up a story, the story of " My true Strength" .It was more like her words had dug deep down into my soul ,into my heart and all that I had lying inside of me for 20Years ... I reminded myself of my Grandmother and how she spent hundreds of hours with me when I was 9 years old and very chubby child rather lost and timid and scared, telling me inspirational stories of faith, of hope of "strength " yes strength .. I remember my tiny Room in a corner lot of an apartment building in southern California and her lying on the floor with me with the rays of the sun coming down on her wrinkled up hands and her eyes filled with surma [an Indian eye pencil ] and her telling me stories of some of which I have never forgotten she told me usually after a long story "Marium Strong banna hai Strong ,bohat strong meri jaisi " which in English means you have to become strong Marium, strong very strong just like me" .. Those words.... that moment .....those few seconds of her time ,her voice , her passion her inner strength had somehow gotten under my skin ... And till this day each time I fall weak .. I close my eyes and take myself back in time ,to call Upon her voice , her eyes lit up from the sunlight coming through the window of my tiny room , those wrinkled hands holding a book she had just read to me, I'll Never forget , and those words that breathed a breath of strength in my heart . Iam thankful for the time she has given me to give me what I needed more than the roof on my head or the food in my plate at that time .. She gave me a heart to stand up to roughest of times and smile and move forward as if I did I will be a "True Warrior". Never underestimate the power of words ......Stay Strong and positive xoxoxo P.s. I did talk to that mom and she and I are both thankful to have found each other and on how far our children have gotten because we stayed "Strong" ;]
