From Yo

     Let me just begin by saying I am a 50 year old mother of four and grandmother of two
     boys, 5 and 2 (in June) and also a retired nurse.  I work now but in a different
     profession.  I have three daughters, 30, 28, 25 and one son who just turned 22.  I am
     telling you this because it has a lot to do with my story.  My second daughter,
     Courtney was born with cerebral palsy and mental retardation.  We never thought at
     first she would ever walk, but she overcame that.  She has a very limited vocabulary.
     She can repeat some things that you say but maybe says 20-25 words independently,
     totally on her own.

     When you go through a pregnancy you have such high hopes and
     expectations and sometimes things don't happen as you think they should.  My
     mother has always told me God gave me Courtney to teach me patience, which
     sometimes I feel like I am flunking that test badly.  Another big one of hers is, God
     never gives us more than we can handle.  Occasionally I feel like that has been
     stretched to the limit also.  Well, first in your children's lives you are the caregiver,
     provider, etc.  After they start to age and mature you fast hope that you can establish
     a different kind of relationship.  You bond over different things as they age.  With my
     other two daughters it is the grandchildren, shopping for clothes, makeup, etc and the
     son we both love our sports.  Well, with Courtney there was none of that.  I am her
     total caregiver and it was always so frustrating to not know what she wanted or needed
     when she was upset.  That finally changed....

     I was already a fan of Johnny's (knew him) from Jump Street.  It escalated with
     Edward Scissorhands.  Not a crazed fan, mind you.  I just kept up with what he was
     doing.  I was too busy raising my family to be too crazy.  As Courtney aged she began
     liking to go to the movies.  On the weekends it was a thing her and I could do
     together.

     When Gilbert Grape came out she began to really show interest.  I know
     this was not a particularly happy time in Johnny's life but it was an amazing time in
     mine.  One of the first words Courtney ever said without prompting was "Gilbert and
     cute".  I will never forget it.  I cried like a baby and she looked at me like I was an
     idiot.  We watched all his other movies and when Pirates came out she "perked up"
     even more.  She has now added "Johnny, Jack, and Pirates" to her vocabulary.  This is
     one movie that she actually watches and laughs out loud.  A good belly laugh.

     There  is no way I could ever thank Johnny or he could ever really know what this means to
     me.  It has been a long time coming in Courtney's and my life before we found
     something that we can actually "bond" over.  A mother and daughter thing.  I have
     wanted this for so long and I know that you will think I am a crazy woman when I tell
     you that as I write this I can't help but cry.  No one knows what it is like, unless you
     have a child like Courtney.  I am so happy and it has alot to do with Johnny.  Now
     when we are home at night by ourselves sometimes, I will ask Courtney if she wants to
     watch a movie and she will 99% of the time pick out one of Johnny's (God bless her -
     she does have good taste - ha).

     So, that is my story.  Told you it was a little different.  Johnny will never know what he
     has meant in my life and I will be forever grateful to him. I love the fact that he is so
     humble he just doesn't get the fact that he has made a difference in so may peoples
     lives.

     I have met some wonderful people on this site and now I have to add you to the list.
     Thank you for giving me this opportunity to tell my story.  Sorry I took up so much
     space.  You can email me back at ycruzer44@aol.com (home) or my work is
     ygwood@mapllc.com.

     Yo
 
 
 
 

Do you have a story?  Email me

home