Adversity isn’t a choice, but resilience is a must…The power of resilience came alive in me at the age of 12 when my family and I migrated to the U.S. I was forced to rise above culture shock, face the inability to speak English and endure 6th- grade girls’ ridicule. But the God-given resilience became the friend who helped me all the way to college graduation.
That journey prepared me to endure a bigger setback when at 30, a disease of the retina (RP) robbed my sight completely. The heartache deepened with the subsequent abandonment of my husband. Once again, I had no option but to trust in God and with renewed resilience, I not only learned to survive, but also to continue my role as a blind mom to my 3, 5, and 7-year old sons.
That same resilience and the passion to overcome adversity was at work when my youngest son, 19 at the time, was murdered and the man responsible was acquitted. Forgiving the man who killed him was again a product of my passion for resilience.
The episodes in my life could label me as a victim. But instead, my life overflows with joy and success. That’s why gratitude propels me to wake up each morning with a passion to inspire others.
I lost my sense of sight, but not my sense of humor. Laughing at myself is the habit that won’t go away. On one occasion, I braced myself to slip into the airplane seat . But I quickly learned that, unable to see, instead of gripping the back of the seat, I had a tight grip on a man’s bald head.
Embarrassed? No Señor! Episodes like these give me more material for my presentations. Joy, laughter, dancing, taking cruises fill my life when I’m not writing books or traveling to speak.
I invite you to check out my five books, and also my stories in 32 Chicken Soup for the Soul books, articles in Crosswalk.com, dozens of anthologies and hundreds of online articles.
What joy to share my story in numerous interviews on national and international TV and radio including the Spanish-version of Good Morning America, 700 Club, Focus on the Family, Lifestyle with Roy Ice and dozens on digital media as well as Univision and Telemundo networks.
I’m grateful that my commitment to resilience garnered these awards:
I have those awards displayed in my home in Florida where I live with my husband, Dale, near our adult children and delightful grandchildren.
Now that you know me, I’d like to know you and the needs of your group. Let’s team up together and transform their mindset and lives.