Beautiful Free Bird



"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."  ~Epictetus

Linking with lovely Emily at Imperfect Prose.

Life with all its struggles and frustrations has a way of weighing us down, like mud from a landslide knocking us to the ground motionless in a stagnant place.  Then it becomes difficult to see ahead or even move forward from there.  I have found myself wallowing in this condition more times than I care to admit.

A while back I was there once again, stuck in a mound of self pity, facing another situation uncertain what direction to go next.  As I wondered why life always seems to be so hard, out of the blue something amazing happened.

Being an avid blogger, I occasionally receive random e-mails from people that I do not know.  Usually, commenting on my blog, or asking questions, but on this day it was something different.  I opened an e-mail from a young lady with a story that could move any heart from complacency to inspiration.

Her name is Rubi, and during her junior year in High School, she was in a devastating car accident.  The vehicle she was riding in hit a guardrail, flipped 3 times, and she was ejected out the window.  Both her back and shoulders were fractured, and her neck broken.  Now she is paralyzed from the chest down.  Her trunk control is very weak, and using her hands is difficult.  She can barely make a fist.  All the things that we do and take for granted everyday are a struggle for Rubi, yet like a beautiful free bird that always sees the horizon, she never looses site of hope.  She has been improving with therapy, but it is her artistic jewelry making that has strengthened her hands and her beautiful heart. 
She creates a lovely array of leather beaded wrap bracelets, and they are amazing.  Making the jewelry is a wonderful outlet for her to express herself.  You can take a look at her Etsy site for yourself.  You will not be dissapointed, I know I was not. 

Yes, life with all its struggles and hardships can weigh us down, like a heavy shroud we can barely see through, yet there are glimmers of inspiration that can penetrate the barriers that we undertake in our lives.  People like Rubi whose life is a message of inspiration and hope, like a carrier pigeon in flight.  I hear her beautiful message loud and clear, and I want to share it with the world.  We can choose to be defeated in our adversity or we can rise above it and defy the odds and statistics of this world.  We all have problems to deal with in our daily lives, some are more massive than others, yes, but we also each have hope that can carry us through.  Just ask Rubi, she knows this hope and holds it close with all the strength in her heart.

Meet Rubi and her beloved dog Koco.


These are my favorites!

Rubi site is called Beautiful Free Bird.