Dad and I just got back from a trip to New York. Dad got the courage to drive through the taxi maze of New York City and we escaped to Hyde Park to see Roosevelt’s home and presidential library.
Roosevelt never wanted for anything in his younger years. He grew up an only child of wealthy parents with every opportunity for education and success. He married Eleanor and had five children and was heading toward a successful career in politics when, one day, after he’d spent a weekend visiting a boy’s camp, he was exposed to polio. He came home from the camp not feeling well so he walked up the stairs to his bedroom to rest and never walked on his own again.
When he woke up the next morning he was unable to move anything from his neck down. His mother gave up on him and expected that he would live his life as an invalid but Eleanor wouldn’t hear of it. She pushed him to exercise and encouraged him to keep living.
After a lot of encouragement from Eleanor, he was able to sit up and after a time could use his arms and hands. He never felt sorry for himself and didn’t want anyone else to. He refused to talk about his disabilities and instead would make a joke that put those around him at ease. Every day he would have someone push him to the drive in front of his estate and would try to walk to the end. He could only go a short distance before he’d fall on his face and then he’d get up and try again, and would go a little further, fall on his face and then try again and again until he reached the mailbox at the end of his driveway. He did this day after day until he could walk with help.
He and Eleanor had a lot of hardships in their life and made some mistakes but I felt inspired by the fight and courage of Franklin and Eleanor.
Eleanor said, “Courage is more exhilarating that fear and in the long run it’s a lot easier. We don’t have to become heroes overnight.”
