Strength of The Human Spirit
BREAKING THE BARRIERS

Life is not always what we would like it to be, but sometimes there are special people that come into this world. They hold out a light so we may see and understand the ability of the human spirit! Helen Keller was such a person. When she was 19 months old she contracted meningitis and as a result lost her sight and hearing. Suddenly she was thrust into a world of silence and darkness. The frustration caused her to become a wild child until Anne Sullivan entered her life. Ms. Sullivan became the tutor who bravely and patiently unlocked the world to Helen. She was the first blind-deaf person to bridge the gap to the sighted and hearing world.

Helen Keller’s life was one of hard work and perseverance; her accomplishments were many. She visited 35 countries, published 14 books and met every President from Calvin Coolidge to John F. Kennedy. Helen Keller truly showed the strength of the human spirit and also left us some pearls of wisdom that speak out to us all! These are some of Ms. Keller’s quotes:

~ When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened. ~ One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world. ~ Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow. ~ The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched, but are felt in the heart. ~ I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. ~ Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. ~ The best way out is always through. ~ To me, a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. ~ Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all - the apathy of human beings. ~ Security is mostly a superstition - it does not exist in nature... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~ The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision. I hope this column inspires you to greatness. - SharLeigh