An attribute to my hero

I'm sure we all have people who we look up to, or have looked up to in this life. People who aspire us, who seem to have a lasting affect on our memories.

I have at least two of these people that brought so much to my life.
Today is one of their birthdays. She would have been 57 today.
She is my cousin, Charlotte, who had muscle dystrophy.
She was the same age as I , we were like sisters, and since I didn't have a sister she became my sister also, not only my cousin.
Our Mother's were sisters and they were both pregnant with us at the same time. My Mother had a 2month jump on my aunt. My birthday was in May and Charlotte's in July of the same year.

When  Charlotte was around 4-5 yrs old she started falling down a lot. My aunt and uncle took her to a specialist,which started a long line of test and operations. At that time the medical field didn't know what exactly was wrong with her, for that was around 1960.

When we started school Charlotte was in braces, and I would hold one side of her while we walked. I stayed in at recess with her, because she couldn't go out and play like the other kids. She would stand at the window and watch them.

Charlotte was amazing! I admired her so much that I never felt sorry for her as she got older.
I would pick her up and we would go shopping together, we went to the movies, we did everything together.
If people stared at her in her wheelchair while we were shopping, I would just start pushing her really fast down the aisles, running down anyone in our way and she would laugh. I only wanted to make her laugh, and give her enjoyment.

She was very smart and made better grades in school than I. She didn't have to study much to get an A, where I had to study my butt off to get a B or C. 
When we were in the 4th-5th grades, I sat behind her and when we were having a test, she would slide her paper over when I didn't know an answer for me to see.. I KNOW.. We shouldn't have been cheating lol.
If she was feeling ornery that day she wouldn't let me look..(fond memories)

Around the age of 17 Charlotte met this boy, that she was crazy about. He started coming over and staying a lot and just hanging around. She found herself pregnant and he asked my uncle if he could marry her.
She had such a hard time carrying her son. She couldn't walk for exercise. But, you know what she COULD do? She could swim... I would watch her in amazement when they put her in the water. She would be half way on top and half way on bottom of the water, and she swam like nothing I'd ever seen before. She made motions like a frog swimming. Another thing I admired since I couldn't swim at all!
When she got very far along in her pregnancy she wasn't able to swim, so she didn't get any exercise.
When Christopher was born, she refused to let anyone help her any more than was needed. She fed him, she changed his diaper, and they would put him in his little tub on the table so she could bathe him.

Around 6yrs later she had another child, Kailee. She went down fast after Kailee was born. Her lung collapsed and her fingers were drawn in so bad she couldn't do as much for her as she did for Christopher. (Unfortunately, Kailee also has muscle dystrophy, and is now in a wheelchair.)
But, once again she amazed me. She would  put a pencil in her  mouth and draw! Her drawings were truly a work of art. She drew this huge life like Senorita with such detail. She had her hanging in her bedroom, and when I visited, I would just stand and stare at what she had created.
I wish we could had Charlotte noticed then, but we didn't have all the social media's as we do now. I am sure all the networks would have her on their shows.
 She had a few attorneys and Dr's from our hometown buy her drawings. They had a hard time believing she had drawn with a  pencil in her mouth. 
I watched her draw, and once again she did something that I couldn't do, and wished I could.
My admiration went up more for this talented, strong willed cousin of mine.

Her husband found someone else, and left Charlotte, when Kailee was about 2yrs old and it seemed to break her totally.  He told her he wanted someone he could dance with. JERK!
Her health got worse, and there were days she wouldn't talk to anyone not even me.

She left us and went to the Lord around 7yrs ago, where I am sure she is free from all pain, and is dancing now. 


I believe these special souls are put here for us to learn from. We can watch and learn how to be brave and strong, even in the worst times of our lives..

Charlotte today on your birthday.. I want you to know I admire you and love you, and you have always been, and will always be an inspiration to me and my hero!
                                                         
                                                     

This is Charlotte holding my oldest daughter. She would ride her around in her wheelchair, and every time we went to visit, she would beg for a ride.
                               

                    

 This is Charlotte with her daughter, Kailee and my Aunt Fredine, her Mom.
                                           

This is Charlotte's two children, Christopher and Kailee

                                                         

         Kailee turned out to be as intelligent as her Mother, and she graduated. She is also married now, and I wish her the best in life

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