Not An Easy Life
Zachary Hintz, third place
“It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” - Rocky Balboa My brother Caleb gets hit with life so hard, but he always takes those hits and keeps fighting. He never gives up and always moves forward. In 2016 my brother was diagnosed with Multi Minicore Myopathy. It is a rare neuromuscular disease that affects his body and strength. He can’t do normal day-to-day things that we all take for granted. He hardly has the strength to get out of bed in the morning. It’s a struggle to get up off the ground or chair. He can’t run, jump, or even put his arms above his head. It affects his lungs and takes away his energy. It is almost impossible for him to write or cut his food. Even holding his head up is a challenge. There is no known cure and the doctors don’t know enough about this disease. He always loved playing baseball. I know that he would have been an awesome player. He will never again get to do the thing that he loves. Ask yourself how you would feel if something you loved, you never could experience doing. He sees everybody else doing everything they want, but he can’t. I often wonder how he stays so strong. He is the toughest and strongest person I will ever know. I see all these things everyday and it breaks my heart.
I have learned to never take anything for granted. When I am tired and have nothing left in the tank, I think of my brother Caleb and how he feels this way all day everyday. When I want to do something with him, I need to understand that he may not have the strength or energy. Sometimes I feel like I am an only child because I have learned to do things by myself. I feel guilty to be able to run and play sports because he is unable to do any of that. I could golf all day long; I wish Caleb had the ability to do that too. There are times Caleb needs me to do things for him, like simply getting him a glass of water or bringing him the remote. Some days I don’t want to do it, but I remember all he is going through. Some kids don’t appreciate the little things in life, but I can tell you that I sure do.
I live my life differently now in lots of ways. God helps me get through life. It affects me emotionally. It is hard to watch him struggle and not be able to make things better. He is still and always is going to be my big brother who I look up to. Before he got diagnosed, life was a lot different. Now my parents and I do things to help make his life easier. My favorite thing to do in life is play golf. If I could never do that again, I would be devastated. Going forward in life, I will appreciate the small things and big things. When I run or get up off the ground again, I will appreciate having the ability to do that. I look at everything differently. I take nothing for granted.
