Being
born with Cerebral Palsy (CP) to young parents it seemed like Michael's life would not amount to
much. The doctors thought this and told
my parents to put him in an institution, but they could tell right away that
there was something special about their son.
I am so happy my parents were wise beyond their years. If they had
listened to the doctors none of us would have been blessed to have Michael as part of our lives.
I have a
lot of fond memories of my brother. I
remember my dad throwing Michael into the deep end of the swimming pool on more
than one occasion. I would always worry he would sink, but he always came to
the surface and swam to where he could touch where he would walk with a huge
smile on his face. I tormented him like
any sister should. I used to steal his wheelchair (WC) and drive it around and he would chase me hollering in a way only Michael
could do. I also loved to play on his
talking machine which drove him crazy. And of course I made fun of his laugh,
no one will ever forget horse shack. We had fun having dance parties in our
kitchen-Michael had some great moves. I
loved going to Disney world and Valleyfair with him and going on roller
coasters, getting to go to the front of the line was an added perk of going
with Michael. I loved going to visit
him in Worthington and remember spending every summer with him in Dexter. I would get mad at him for waking me up too
early to feed him and even started locking my bedroom door so he couldn't come
in. Then he would just sit there and
bang on the door and yell until I came out.
He loved going to the Oasis and Jims to get a little razzing from Jim,
Shorty, Del, Buddy, Dave and Bob. But no matter how busy Michael was he always
had time for a nap, I think he had a 2 nap minimum each day for most of his
life which is how he got the nickname Pony. Michael was also known for his
distinguished palate-at a young age he loved spaghettios over toast with milk, other
favorites included moms Lasagna, meatloaf and pumpkin pie that could ONLY be
made with Libbys Pumpkin puree, Culvers burgers and mashed potatoes and mac n
cheese from KFC. You wouldn't expect it
but Michael was also quite the singer with his talking machine. He could really belt out O holy night and
singing Twinkle Twinkle little star on it finally got Hannah to like him.
I didn't
realize until I was much older that my brother was different. To me he was just Michael, not the poor kid
with CP. CP did not define him. I know
Michael felt to same way about himself.
He was not going to let his physical disability keep him from anything.
He was successful because he kept going and fighting, a trait he learned from
my parents, he was stubborn and persistent just like Bubba. He went to numerous therapies to learn to use
his WC and talking machine. He worked
hard to graduate from high school and college even though it took a lot of
extra work. I am pretty sure he got in
with the Timberwolves because he just showed up at practice and sat there until
they let him in. Later in life when his
CP resulted in him having no teeth he assured me the ladies thought he was sexy
even without teeth, self confidence was never an issue for Michael.
I learned
a lot from my brother. He taught me to go after what I wanted even if it wasn't
easy. He taught me how to have kindness
and compassion for others. He showed me
that there is more to a person than what you see on the outside, He led me to my career as an Occupational
Therapist and showed me that the most physically involved person can have the
brightest mind. I will miss his every
day, but know that even though he is gone he lives on in me and in all of
you. All of us have been forever changed
by having Michael in our lives. I think
this poem is very fitting to end with.
There’s a comforting thought at the close of the day,
When I’m weary and lonely and sad,
That
grips hold of my heart
And bids
it be merry and glad.
It gets
in my soul and it drives out the blues,
And
finally thrills through and through.
It is
just a sweet memory that chants the refrain:
“I’m glad I touched shoulders with you!”
Did you
know you were brave, did you know you were strong?
Did you
know that I longed for that smile on your face,
for the
sound of your voice ringing true.
Did you
know I grew stronger and better because
I had
merely touched shoulders with you?
I am glad
that I live, that I battle and strive
For the
place that I know I must fill;
I am
thankful for sorrows, I’ll meet with a grin
What
fortune may send, good or ill.
I may not
have wealth, I may not be great,
But I
know I shall always be true,
For I
have in my life that courage you gave
when once
I touched shoulders with you.
I will miss a lot and I learned this week so will a lot of other people. Here are 2 other articles about my brother. One Article written by the AP and another by Paul Allen. They are also honoring him at the Twolves game on Wednesday. Yep my brother was a pretty amazing guy!
