radjib

[radjib]

Still Life

Imagine a life where you lose one of your five senses, or imagine having a severe disease that doesn’t have a cure; would you still live that life?

Let me begin with a personal story. In my life, I get to encounter different people. Men and women who, with their faith, have developed for the betterment of their lives.

Two members of my family are identified as Persons with Disabilities or PWDs, specifically my mom Sahida and my brother Rashid. This challenge has changed our lives forever. Of course, it wasn’t an easy journey.

Years ago, my brother was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer. He was an ongoing third-year college student back then, and he had to prioritize his health above all. What a wasteful opportunity to finish school right? But we always believed that everything happens for a reason and I think the reason is for him to change his lifestyle. Prior to his diagnosis, he always used to eat uncontrollably at fast food restaurants. He then began to stop eating processed foods and controlled his intake. Although talking to the Lord is not new to him, his faithfulness grew even bigger. And I think those are the reasons that’s why he had to face a very tough drawback.

Back to my mom, her family has a history with diabetes. I guess she adapted it since she likes to eat sweets. That led her to lose her right eye sight. Imagine that situation, for sure you’ll lose interest in living. After that incident my family also limited her rice and sweets intake, to keep her sugar level to normal.

I decided to share our family story because this can lift people up who are experiencing some adversities in life. In the height of the pandemic we managed to battle the mere survival, this story can be a testament that with great faith and perseverance, you will be able to overcome anything.

People with disabilities have a right to adequate workplace environment, the freedom to live freely, equal opportunities, and the ability to partake in communal life. Everyone has a right to a life free from limitations. And it is our responsibility as a community to guarantee their full inclusion in society on an equal level with everyone else.

In life we always find ourselves in a crossroad of choices, each of our decisions will lead to something good or bad. But I want you to know that there is still a positive side in every mistake, they will serve as lessons for you to do better and strive for more. For persons with disabilities, it may be difficult to live a life the same way again, because they are constantly confronted with barriers that sometimes are simply invincible. It should not be so. Having a disability doesn’t make you less of a person.

I’ll end this speech with a line from one of my favorite TV shows; “When life hurts you, because it will, remember the hurt. The hurt is good.” Life goes on whatever happens, make yourself happy, live the life that you want, be natural in a world full of man-made. Do good things for yourself because you only live once. You may lose someone or something, but you still have yourself, you still have a life to fulfill.

@joezerkemuel

Radjib C. Balatbat

12 - Aristotle