Welcome back~
OK, so I know it's been a while since my last installment of I Am Potential. When we last left
Patrick Henry, he had just undergone surgery for his scoliosis. As he began to recover, he was allowed to go outside on his swing when the unexpected happened.. and broke his leg. In the last post, we also examined how they "coped "with such circumstances. Continue with me as I attempt to summarize what I believe are the most important lessons that can be learned through Patrick Henry and his family. Here is a slight review:
Do What You Can To Change What You Can
"I have learned that when situations are challenging, you have to rise up, or there'll get you down and keep you there.. "Says Patrick. He uses the example of playing with his brothers, saying that he could have given up. But what good does that do? You never know what you are capable of until you try
As I examined earlier, it all comes down to one thing when faced with the decision to do something. Fear. Fear of failure or inability to step outside one's comfort zone. There's one problem with that though. "If you give in to that fear, you might never know how good things could be or the problem might get even worse if you choose to ignore it," he says.
It was the hope he had for a better future and life they kept him going despite his disability.
Pursue Your Passion As If You're Life Depends on It.
Someone once said, "There is only one passion; the passion for happiness." (Patrick credited the person as Dennis, but I was unable to understand the last name.) For Patrick, this passion has always been music.
Why?
Because music has the ability to transport him places beyond the limitations of his disability. He is able to "see" with his imagination what a moon looks like or feel as if he is walking on air. He is limitless and anything is possible.
"Music is my key to life; the more I play, the richer my life becomes," Patrick says. As we explored earlier, this talent for music was discovered purely by accident while his father was babysitting. It had an unusual calming impact for the blind child; but as he grew, the talent became more intense, being able to play notes just by hearing them.
"After a while, I think dad gave up trying to figure it all out and just accepted that God had given me a wonderful gift,". Patrick Henry says .
For father and son, the piano allowed for some bonding time. "It wasn't just the music; it was sharing something we both loved," he said. As with life, it wasn't always fun and games because Patrick often found himself frustrated when his father had to work.
"I didn't like it but you can't always have things just the way you want." This father and son music games continued until about the age of five. At that point, John Henry knew he wasn't able to give him the experience he needed. The next teacher was Diana and like Patrick Henry, she was also blind.