by Jessica Ebersole
I wrote the following poem after the Talent show night at our Joni and Friends family retreat during my internship at Spruce Lake. Family Retreat is a time for families with special needs to come and be refreshed from the daily grind of life with a disability. I had the opportunity to share this poem with the other two talent shows at the following weeks of retreat.
Lights, Camera, Action!
For a night where the stars
Are those for which the spotlight
Is not normal
Tonight, they shine
They shine in the little boy
Who hams it up on stage
while rocking an extra 21st chromosome
And rocking to the beat of the music
They shine in the little girl
Who zips her chair back and forth
With a one-thousand-watt smile on her face
They shine in the young girl
Who flipped and jumped across the stage
On her prosthetic leg and arm
With grace and ease
They shine in the shy individuals who
Pushed past fear and anxiety
To make us smile with their talent
They shine in the young woman
Who shared various photographs
She had taken with her trained eye
They shine in the young man
who sings and plays the piano to
“Be Thou Vision”
Despite not being able to see
They shine tonight
Not because of their talent
Or their ability
But because they are children
Who are celebrated, loved and accepted
No matter what
Jessica Ebersole is a twenty-something who is from Chicago and explores life through the eyes of someone with a disability. Jessica has cerebral palsy but she does not let that stop her. She spends her days at a children’s museum and enjoys serving the community in various ways. She loves spending time with family, connecting with friends and photography. She has recently accepted the new position of Missionary Model for Lahash International based in Portland, Oregon.
