Lift People Up!
Encouragement and Helping Others
"It's going to be a good day, because I am going to make it a good day! If I cannot look at the bright side, I polish the other side. Nobody is going to rain on my parade."
Mike Marino, Jr.
I was not sent to help you Marlene, you were sent to help me. However you cannot help me Marlene, unless I lift you up first higher and higher.
Too beautiful of a person Marlene, did I ever tell you about Emma, a little four-year-old girl that I met while doing volunteer work at Crippled Children's Hospital in 1970?
Emma was born without arms and legs. The Thalidomide babies were born. Women took a morning sickness drug before it was officially approved by the Food and Drug administration.
The babies were brought to Crippled Children's hospitals all across America. The therapist made a leather bucket for Emma to sit in. The bucket was attached to an eighteen by eighteen inch board with casters on all corners. Emma would wiggle her torso back and fourth to propel herself forward down the halls of the Hospital.
Emma wore pink barrettes in her pigtail hair. She had a diaper on and wore a white T shirt with a bunny rabbit on it.
I was doing volunteer work and they put me with all boys in a room. The boys all had serious birth disabilities. I will try to make the story much shorter than it is.
Emma rolled into the room that the boys were in. One of the boys told me not to let Emma in the room because she was a girl. I let her in the room. Emma made her way right up to my ankle.
Then Emma said, "Mr. Mike pick me up, I want to see what they are doing on the table."
I told Emma, without looking down at her, "I cannot pick you up; I am not allowed to touch any of the children."
The nurse that was observing the scene said, "You can pick her up, Mr. Mike."
One of the boys shouted out, "Don't pick her up Mr. Mike, don't pick her up!"
When I looked down to pick her up, I could swear I saw two arms reaching up to me.
I had no idea how I was going to get her out of the bucket. I put my knee on the board and worked her out of the bucket. Emma had a diaper on. I was afraid the diaper would come off. I held Emma up for two seconds so she could see the model cars and coloring books on the table.
When I went to put her back into the bucket, Emma looked at me with big brown eyes and said, "Don't put me down Mr. Mike. I want you to hold me."
I said, "I am holding you."
Emma said, "I want you to hold me close Mr. Mike!"
I said, "I am holding you close."
Emma said, "No Mr. Mike, you have to hold me real close."
I pulled Emma close to me and Emma put her head on my shoulder. She had one finger growing out of the side of her shoulder, under her T shirt sleeve, and she pressed the finger against my shoulder and said, "I love you Mr. Mike!"
I broke down and cried like a baby. I could not stop crying. The boy that said do not pick her up said real loud, "I told him not to pick her up, and that guy does not listen!"
The Nurse came and brought me a box of Kleenex and took Emma away from me and said, "You're going to bed young lady. You have had enough fun for today."
Emma was laughing out loud!
I told the nurse, "That little girl has a finger under her T shirt sleeve and she pressed it against me."
The nurse said, "Mr., You are not the first person Emma touched with that little finger and you will not be the last."
In that moment, Emma changed me into a person!
The story is much, much longer.
After that, God's Grace came upon me and I become strong and did many bold deeds by the Grace of God. The reason I tell you this story, too beautiful of a person Marlene, is because Emma knew that I needed help bad, however she could not help me until I raised her up!
That is what I do Marlene, my purpose in life is to raise people up! Nobody can help me until I raise them up first. My sweet and very good wife of 44 years and seven months has told my children for years, "That man needs help badly, that man needs help!"
And now Marlene, you know the rest of the story.
With best intentions to serve with humility,
Copyright © 2012 Mike Marino, Jr.
Mike Marino, Jr. aka "In Person", is the co-author of two books and a Distinguished Toastmaster who helps people fall in love with learning. He speaks and writes on the love of Knowledge is the root of all good!
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