“Talk about something you learned last month.”

This is the writing prompt I chose this week for Mama Kat’s Writers Workshop.

http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2014/06/writing-prompts-06-10/

As soon as I saw the choices I had for the writing prompts, I knew this was the one I had to do.

The month of May is National Mobility Awareness Month. They had a contest going on for the entire month of May that was pretty much based on votes and your own “local hero” story. At the end of the month four winners were chosen. They each won a handicap accessible van.

My niece was in this contest and made it to the semi finals. When she was six years old, she was in a near fatal car accident that left her paralyzed.  Countless surgeries and 14 years later she decided to enter this contest with her number one goal being to hopefully win one of these vans so she would be able to start college. Her mom and dad are working class, living pay check to pay check like most of us. There is no room in the budget for a fifty thousand dollar van.

My niece made it to the semi finals, but did not win.

That is okay, it was not meant to be.

What I did learn was that big things can happen with so little. She had so many votes. Complete strangers were voting for her. She was on her local news and Chick-Fil-A opened their restaurant so their customers could vote after placing their order.

I learned so much last month. Most people really do care, and will do whatever they can to help. Even something as simple as voting. I believe that THAT was the lesson we were suppose to learn. THAT was the journey. It is not always about the destination, but how you get there that matters.

If anyone is interested is reading more, please go here

This is not me trying to get donations, just me trying to spread awareness.