| Lee Olson,
age 24, just finished painting and glazing two bald eagle figurines
for his new apartment. It's symbolic. Lee is about to take flight.
This summer, Lee will move from his home
on the family farm to a life of independence. He loves the outdoors
and riding his four-wheeler. But he's ready to be on his own.
Everything is falling into place. The apartment is ready, and Lee just
landed a new job at the Cashwise grocery store in Willmar to help pay
the bills.
Moving out of the family home is an
easy transition for Lee. It's not so easy for his parents. Lee was
born with brain damage causing developmental delays, and his speech is
difficult to understand. "We as parents know he can be vulnerable,"
said his mother, Deb. "But he asks, 'my sisters have moved out, why
can't I'?"
Lee has planned for this day. During
high school, he took classes to learn about living on his own:
cooking, keeping house, managing bills, and shopping for groceries.
He's held various jobs and especially likes getting paid! His parents
have also been an important part of the equation, fostering a
positive, can-do attitude.
"It's best to have kids be on their own
because their parents aren't always going to be around," Deb says.
"Plus, these young people with disabilities have a life to live with
gifts to contribute. Sometimes, I wish more employers would give
people with disabilities a chance and look beyond their disability.
They have talents of their own, and are driven and very reliable."
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There's an
old fable that talks about a man who found an eagle's
egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle
hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.
All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks
did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked
and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few
feet in the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw
a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It
glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents,
with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old
eagle looked up in awe. "Who's that?" he asked. "That's
the eagle, the king of the birds," said his neighbor.
"He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth-- we're
chickens."
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what
he thought he was.
How sad when we who are children of the King live as
chickens when we could fly with the eagles.
Anonymous
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| Along with
family involvement, Lee will receive about four hours of support each
week from a Lutheran Social Service counselor to ensure that all goes
well with independent living. Over the past two years with LSS
support, Lee has especially enjoyed meeting new friends through
bowling and the Elk's dance. He meets up with a special dance partner
there! (Her name is Tiffany.) How
does Lee think things are going? "I'm feeling really good!" he says.
"Lee has really made strides and taken
steps to meet his personal goals," explained Paula Dolby, LSS
counselor. "People with disabilities have an incredible spirit. The
beauty of our work is to see the rewards that come after giving just a
few hours of support each week to help them live their dreams."
Lee's also hoping to buy a three-wheel
bike to get him around town and to his new job at the grocery store.
Much like the eagles, determination and courage have become necessary
and life-long assets on his journey. For Lee, it's time to soar.
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