Happiness is ......(36)

 

Dayton has a strong fighting spirit, despite his disabilities.

 

Dayton's love for dogs is obvious.

 

Off he goes, like a pro!

 

Look ma! Dayton and his balancing act!

My friend Shan Chin had forwarded me the above email - an inspiring story of Dayton
Hennessy. Happiness is when friends, despite their busy schedules, forward me worthy materials for reading - articles which are uplifting and inspiring.

The above pictures are of an 11 yr old boy, Dayton Hennessey from Virginia. He sets a remarkable example of will power and courage. Due to a severe bacterial infection he was on the brink of death but was saved by amputating both arms and legs. Although he is without arms and legs, but in spirit he scores higher than us who have intact arms and legs. What a wonderful zest Dayton has for life!

I just had my violin lessons earlier this evening, and I was happy for despite the pain in my hands, I managed to play quite well for my teacher. It is extremely challenging for short, little fingers like mine to play third position on the G string, but I was determined when I practised to overcome the difficulty. I practised very hard the past few days and went through the scales again and again, until I could play them well. As the duration for my violin lessons is only thirty minutes, I want to ensure that I will play well enough so that my teacher could pass me and I could progress to learn new pieces.

I am thankful that my beloved papa had encouraged me to play the piano. I guess when playing octaves, my fingers must have been stretched and hence the continuous stretching had helped a little in the growth; otherwise I might have ended up with even shorter fingers! I remember when I played, "The Maiden's Prayer" on the piano for my school concert, one of my friends complimented me when she realised that my fingers were really short. She had much longer fingers than me, but found the piece difficult to play. I guess it is mind over body.

I had once complained about having short fingers and yearned to have longer ones. However, each time I remember Nick Vujicic and Lena Maria, and peace and contentment fill my heart. Now I will also remember Dayton Hennessy and the joyful expression on his face and his huge zest for life!

Portraits of our lives we paint,
meandering through difficult paths.
Will our lives be colorful or faint,
It's for us, the artists to carve!

Gan Cao