One of the best things that I have been able to do in my music teaching career of 15 years is work with kids with disabilities.
Those kids were absolutely amazing! In order for them to do some of the most simple tasks that we take for granted everyday- like walking, eating, or going to the bathroom- it takes almost all of their mental and physical effort. The ability these kids had to continue to try has truly inspired me. They don’t know what they can’t do… all they know is that they have to try.
I worked with varying types of disabilities. Some kids were able to try things on their own, while others needed constant assistance. Some of these kids had profound disabilities to the extreme that they couldn’t talk, walk, verbally communicate, and had to be fed through tubes. At first sight, it may be a heartbreaking experience for most- it certainly was for me, until I got to know them.
Once I was able to interact with each and every one of them individually I started to realize something. They didn’t know they were disabled. Sure, some of them knew there was something different about them, but they didn’t know WHAT THEY COULDN’T DO. If we were playing with drums that day, it didn’t matter that they couldn’t make the stick meet the drum every time… they just had to try. They were having fun, and it didn’t matter that it wasn’t perfect. A bad day for them, was a day that they didn’t even get to try.
Their laughter and smiles encouraged me everyday to always be thankful for everything that I have and that I’m able to do: but it also made me think about the fears I had within myself. What were the things I was afraid of? Was there something that I wasn’t willing to do or try because of the fear of failing? I bet as you’re reading this a couple of things are popping into your mind.
Think about those things you always wanted to try, but didn’t because of fear. When you really think about it… why are you so fearful? What’s the worse that could happen if you fail? When we really look at and analyze what we’re afraid of, I’m sure you’ll realize that failure isn’t so bad. When one of my special kids dropped their stick, or fell down while we were dancing, they simply picked up the stick and got back up. They didn’t wallow in their failure, THEY KEPT GOING!
So I encourage you, as I try to encourage my daughter everyday, that if there’s is something that you want to do you should at least try it. If it doesn’t work out, try again and start over. Nothing bad comes from trying! You will just be that much more educated when you try again.
This is a lesson that my special needs kids have already learned, which puts them light years ahead of us so called “normal” people. 
Stay Classy!
Karisa Cloutier
The Darling Hat Diva
Photo courtesy of watcharakun via www.freedigitalphotos.net