There are people out there who will change your life. I suggest you go and find that one person who makes you see things in a differentway. This person for me is my cousin Paul. He was born with severe learning disabilities and has crossed many challenges in his life that I can’t even imagine. I look at him and it really makes me reevaluate my own life. Just from knowing him, my eyes have been opened to so many things and I’ve been taught many lessons that I wouldn’t know otherwise.

For the most part, Paul tried to keep in normal classes throughout school and he plays the cello and percussion. He also graduated with honors. He has taken on so many different things and it makes me admire him that much more. I complain about little things like being sore from tennis practice, or taking a math class that is too hard. But having to do all of that with learning disabilities? I really don’t know how he does it.

Going through what Paul has to go through everyday would make me have a very negative attitude towards life, but Paul is always smiling. So when I’m around him, he makes me smile. I would also think that having a learning disability would make him shy, but once you get to know him he is always talking! I look at that as a good thing because it really shows that his disabilities have not slowed him down. Paul is now attending a community college and he is even learning how to drive.

I am thankful that Paul is my cousin because without him I do not think I would have ever gotten to know anyone as wonderful and someone who is as full of life as him. Paul inspires me to strive beyond my best and not complain about the little things that tear me down because I know things could be a lot harder. So go out there and find the one person who inspires you and makes you want to be better. I promise you it will change your life forever.