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    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family
    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family
    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family
    Ebook125 pages1 hour

    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family

    By Barbara Brill

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    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family

    We are a family of four. Each of us has either physical or mental disabilities which require special education adaptations and medical attention

    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family is a crash course in courage, hope, wisdom, joy, and humility.
    Meet Michael and Barbara Brill, and their children Ellen and Kevin, who together as an ordinary family, triumph over their physical and mental disabilities and the expectation of failure.
    Reading this inspiring book, youll be encouraged to grab life and make it work for you, and never make another excuse.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateFeb 27, 2013
    ISBN9781481706155
    An Unlikely, Ordinary Family
    Author

    Barbara Brill

    Meet Michael and Barbara Brill, and their children Ellen and Kevin, who together as an 'ordinary' family triumph over their physical and mental disabilities. Barbara has a Master's Degree in Speech Pathology from Penn State University Barbara lives in, MD and is retired from private practice.

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      Book preview

      An Unlikely, Ordinary Family - Barbara Brill

      © 2013 Barbara Brill. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Published by AuthorHouse 3/1/2013

      ISBN: 978-1-4817-0617-9 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4817-0616-2 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4817-0615-5 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013901042

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

      and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

      The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Contents

      47867.jpg

      Dedication

      Pictures

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 Why Can’t I?

      Chapter 2 If It Hurts, I’m Not Doing It

      Chapter 3 The Only Seat Left

      Chapter 4 A Bit of Heaven on a Mountaintop, My Special Summer Home

      Chapter 5 The Legacy

      Chapter 6 A Place Here on Earth and in Eternity

      Chapter 7 In My Grief

      Chapter 8 Land of Beauty and a Brown Bear to Love

      Chapter 9 There Is No Escape

      Chapter 10 The Bohemian of Her Generation

      Chapter 11 Names Together; Faith not forgotten

      Chapter 12 The Battle of the Feuding Candles

      Chapter 13 Freedom, Fireworks, and the Light of the Moon

      Chapter 14 2001, A Year We Will Never Forget

      Chapter 15 Magical Moments

      Chapter 16 Generations

      Chapter 17 Full Circle

      Chapter 18 Remembered

      Dedication

      44387.jpg

      This book is dedicated to

      our family, friends, and the readers of this book.

      May you find a sense of accomplishment in

      what was, what is, and what can be.

      Barbara Brill

      Pictures

      46957.jpg

      Michael and Barbara Cruising in 1985

      Ellen and Teddy, 1978

      Barbara standing independently, four years old, 1941

      Michael, two years old, 1938

      Ellen – 1978. This picture was taken during the first weekend Ellen spent at our house.

      Ellen – 1979. This picture was taken approximately six months after her adoption.

      Ellen – 1984. This picture was taken shortly before her death.

      The Ellen we loved the best.

      Kevin – 1989 Preschool

      End of Elementary School, beginning of Middle School – 1997

      Kevin graduating senior pictures – 2004

      Michael saving a seat at the camp banquette

      An engagement party at camp for Michael and Barbara – 1958Honeymoon – January, 196050th Wedding Anniversary – January, 2010

      The Original Camp Dining Hall

      Barbara college student attending Senior Camp – 1955

      Barbara, Ellen and a talking parakeet named Silly Birdie, 1979

      Ellen, age 10

      Ellen, fourteen years old, 1984

      Grandpa Eric

      Grandpa Lee

      Ellen

      Barbara 1986

      Michael 1986

      BarbaraBarbara, Susan, Michael, 1988

      The Hut

      Haircut

      Barbara and Kevin prior to him receiving both his English and Hebrew names – 1989

      Kevin at his Bar Mitzvah - 1998

      Confirmation – 2001

      Kevin lighting the Chanukah Candles

      Kevin and Michael

      Kevin – 1990

      Kevin – 2003

      Barbara – 1998

      Kevin and Barbara, 1990

      Kevin visiting Michael, who was recovering from neck surgery, May 2001

      The New York City Skyline, a picture taken by Kevin – April 2001

      Eric and Barbara at the Habilitation Institute, 1941Ellen, Fuzzy the Bear, and Michael, 1980Kevin and Barbara share a moment when Kevin was a 2nd grader

      Kevin and his Great Aunt Florence – 1998Three Generations—Eric, Ida, Lee, Bette, Barbara, Michael, Ellen, Kevin5

      Barbara, four years old

      Barbara, seventy-three years oldEllen, November 27, 1969 – September 2, 1984Kevin, April 16, 1985 – July 22. 2012Michael, October 30, 1936 – November 13, 2010

      Introduction

      44392.jpg

      We barge through life and sometimes ignore the beauty right in front of us. Often people shy away from what makes us uncomfortable. Hardships seem to weigh people down and keep them from trying to achieve their goals.

      This book introduces you to two people who can teach everyone a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge about attitude…knowledge about compassion…and knowledge about laughing just for the pleasure of laughing. Seeing the good in others, and the wonders around us every day makes it a wonderful gift to know Barbara and Mike Brill.

      Barbara and Mike are not ordinary people, but rather, extraordinary people. Their courage gives you hope, their wisdom will give you joy and most of all, their sense of humor will make you smile.

      This book is an inspiration for all of us to grab life and make it work for you; to embrace the wonder of this world and never let yourself make excuses. Thank you Barbara and Mike for sharing the joy of your life with the rest of us.

      —Herman John J. Herman Jr.

      title.psd

      Chapter 1

      Why Can’t I?

      44394.jpgCrusing.tif

      Michael and Barbara Cruising in 1985

      Why? Why can’t I? How many times as children did we whine and cry about the implied limitations of these questions, and now are asked these old refrains by children of another generation? An easy answer was, because. My father responded in very inventive ways to my youthful inquires, not bothering to worry about any limitations that were caused by my cerebral palsy. I wanted to roller skate with my girlfriends. The fact that I could hardly stand up was merely a slight inconvenience handily surmounted with the aid of my doll carriage loaded down with sandbags which were covered over with pretty covers to keep my favorite doll Nancy warm. Shortly before my twelfth birthday, my father died and with him went the person who invented a way for me to play hopscotch without hopping, who almost had me riding a two wheeler, who shared the secret of my skating success, and his dreams of what I could accomplish.

      My mother tried to fill the void left by my Father’s death. She often related a specific story of an event that took place during her youth. Every Sunday she and her seven siblings looked forward to a half an hour trolley ride to a relative’s house. The high point of this excursion was not the ride but the huge picnic

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