Our Grand Hero
April 21, 2007 8:35 AM

Yesterday morning Juliana woke up early. She gathered up some books and climbed onto my lap. After we looked at the books she went and got one of her favorite puzzles, which is a wooden puzzle with thick letters of the alphabet. She climbed back onto my lap, then dumped all the letters out on top of me. Then she proceeded to pick up the letters one by one, and make the correct sign for each letter before putting it in place. She can correctly sign all of the letters of the alphabet! She's just 4 years old. I know I didn't know the alphabet when I was 4 years old. She's a very smart little girl.

I get a lot of e-mails from people who recognize and appreciate what a special little girl Juliana is. Unfortunately, some people aren't very nice. One person actually said, "Don't make her out to be some grand hero—she's only able to do it because it's all she knows."

Yes, it's all she knows—with some amount of discomfort, pain, and frustration all the time.

To which she responds with courage, patience, sweetness, acceptance, and love.

She loves everyone, and she loves life. She absolutely is a grand hero.

—Jeanne ("Party")