My cousin Manish , the only child, is a healthy, good-natured teenager who works at a supermarket in our neighbourhood. He gets along well with the other employees and his boss calls him his star' worker. When Manish was one and a half years old, he was diagnosed with a mental disability. His parents, shocked and aggrieved, felt completely hopeless. The doctor had said that their son would never be normal. CousinRiddhi, who was only six years old at that time, was furious when she heard this. She looked at the cute little toddler smiling up at her and said, 'Manish has many sisters and brothers. We will all take care of him and he will be like us!' Indeed, Manish grew up in the warm care of an extended family, surrounded by adoring grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. From the start, his cousins shared their toys with him, taught him their favorite games, and made him feel loved. He is always included in social events, school activities and family outings. Everyone is protective over him, but carefully avoid spoiling him and making him feel that he is the only special member of the family. Therefore, Manish has not grown up with an attitude problem. No one can deny that he has a very pleasant personality. Growing up has not always been smooth and easy. There were times when Manish sank into a depression, threw uncontrollable tantrums or just withdrew into himself for hours. His family learned how to cope with these episodes which were regarded as natural stages of his development. They never gave up, although sometimes Manish's problems seemed insurmountable. Manish himself learned how to cope with the bullying that he sometimes experienced in school. He also had understanding teachers who treated him like a normal child. Cousin Manish has been an inspiration to us. Through him, we have discovered thatnormal’ takes many forms, sizes, colours and shapes. He has also taught us the importance of being a big, close-knit family. Together, we can overcome all odds.
Vocabulary
inspiration motivation
uncontrollable that can’t be controlled
