A Beautiful Path: Me, You
Unexpected gifts and lessons of love from our special needs son
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Foreword
Although we never expected our life would turn out the way it did, having a child with severe mental and physical challenges, we are glad it did. We have grown immensely both as individuals and as a family and would never be who we are today had we not had Mark in our lives.
Life sometimes brings difficulties, and as painful as they can be we can choose to use them as opportunities to learn and grow or we can complain and ignore the problems ahead of us and never learn anything. I for one find life, the world, and people fascinating. I view life as a school where we are to learn and grow and it has always been my desire to learn and grow as much as possible. I believe we are here to become better people and help each other.
Mark has taught my husband, our children, and me lessons we would have never learned had he not come into our lives. He has shown us what is truly important. How to treat and love people all the time, how to make the best out of life and how to live it to its fullest. We are better because of him and will always be thankful and blessed to have him in our family.
It is not my desire to idolize Mark or put him on a pedestal. That is not my mission or purpose. I love Mark as much as I love my other five children. They are all special in their own way and each one has their own talents, beautiful qualities, gifts, and mission in life. Mark is who he is and I am trying to write as objectively as I possibly can and give the world a view of someone born with so many challenges and the beautiful road he has chosen to take in life. Even though Mark is my son, I greatly admire the person he is, his great courage, and love for life.
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About the Book
When our second child, Mark was born on September 29, 1990 with severe mental and physical challenges, we had no idea what lay ahead. We were young and naïve parents ready to take the challenges that lay ahead do our best. As parents, we think of all the things we want to teach our children. Never did we realize that mark would be the one teaching us the lessons of wisdom, perseverance, courage, piety and true love.
From the moment Mark was born our love was tested and tried by all the challenges of feeding him, sicknesses, hospitalizations and surgeries. Not for one moment were we unhappy that he was and still is with us. Mark has always been a bundle of joy and a privilege to have with us.
About the Author
Maria Russell was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and moved to Holliston, Massachusetts with her parents and 8 siblings during her teenage years. She now lives with her husband and six children in Bellingham, Massachusetts.