Recently I took photographs of two men who remind me of why I am thankful every day. One man is sitting in a wheelchair at a restaurant, with his right hand in a contorted position and he is being fed by another person. The other man, also in a restaurant, is in shorts and is holding a small child in his arms. But something is missing – his right leg – he has a flesh colored prosthetic device as a substitute.
I have spent a lifetime helping disabled people and I have never heard any of them say “You know, Mr. Jernigan, when I got up to go to work that day, I knew I was going to be severely injured and my life would change forever.” We never know when life will take a turn like that. We never know when we will lose our independence and sometimes our dignity. Fortunately, that day will never come for most of us. But it could.
When I think about the man in the wheelchair and the man holding his child, I think how lucky I am, and I am thankful each and every day.
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