From the moment Josephine took her first majestic breath, the imposing of her breath held so much beauty. The second breath was for the courage to face the challenges she knew were waiting for her. Josephine’s third breath was for the strength to push through the challenges she would encounter along the way. Her fourth breath was for her resilience; she would show others she had everything to pick herself up. The power of Josephine’s small and weak body had a vigorous inhalation and exhalation of breath. No wonder everyone in the room called her a wonder of amazement.

Although each of Josephine’s first breaths had a different meaning, life was uncertain in those first four breaths. The breaths all worked together, giving Josephine her purpose in life. She knew life would be challenging, but she also knew those breaths would help her overcome those difficult times. No matter how long that life for her would last. In those four breaths, life was uncertain for everyone in that room. Josephine was the only one who would know how life would work out for herself because no matter how people saw her weak and tired little body looked to those around her, Josephine was the only one who knew how the power of those four breaths would take her; no matter how much of a newborn Josephine was at that moment, her body would know how vital those first four breaths were for the rest of her life.

Josephine started breathing again. This time, her first breath held a ray of light of hope. The second breath held the faith that what lay ahead for Josephine was that she could handle anything that life would come her way. The third breath was knowing that people would not understand her, but she was okay. The fourth breath was for the courage to know she would be an educator for her entire life.

Josephine’s second round of breath was so magnificent that the entire room was filled with a ray of light. Her imposing ability to not let either her body win over her mind or her mind win over her body was just one thing she possessed. Her mind spoke to her body like it was in control, and her body said to her mind it was in control. The mind and body didn’t know that neither was in control. Josephine, her mind, and her body didn’t realize what they all possessed was yet to come. Every breath Josephine took after seemed so much easier. As time passed, her breath lasted much longer than the room full of people there to see her take her first two rounds of breath. What were these few breaths were the most challenging things she ever would do.

Breathing to Josephine became less of a challenge throughout her life. She defeated many others’ challenges, but the most significant challenge she had to overcome was the only person stopping her, the one person looking back at her in the mirror: herself. Josephine getting past her stubbornness of not wanting to accept her challenges. If only Josephine would get out of her way, she could live the kind of life she deserves. Until then, Josephine would have to sit in her world until she was willing to see that she was more than her disability.

To the world, Josephine came off as very secure and confident in who she was. People didn’t know that Josephine was anything but safe and satisfied on the inside. She was so far from secure and assured that she used her security and confidence as makeup on the outside that she never believed in wearing; in fact, she owned and wore more baseball caps than lipsticks. She wears so many baseball caps because they are an added cover for her, not for people to see that she isn’t as secure and confident as people thought she was.

As Josephine got older, she felt more of a challenge to accept who she was when it came to disability. Yes, Josephine fit in with her peers only so much because she couldn’t keep up or the situation didn’t fit her due to her needs. When Josephine was in her 20s, those were the more struggling years as Josephine wanted to be as “NORMAL” as other 20-something-year-olds. Josephine started back from her friends growing up because she thought she was getting in their way or would be better without her.

At this time, Josephine also wanted to start her own life and do it in a way no one would know her for that one thing she had known for seconds, those first two rounds of breath that let everyone know she was here to stay. She wanted to experience life as if she didn’t have that one thing that made her different. Josephine did everything she could to leave that one part of herself behind, but there was no way that Josephine could leave that part of herself behind, yet somehow she found a way.

What would happen next wasn’t in Josephine’s character…