Outward Looking

It took a few years of working with Kevin before I finally discovered one of the keys to his happiness and longevity—how to be happy and appreciative in all circumstances.

This discovery happened when Kevin was 7 years old. He was at home on a Saturday morning and was watching Mr. Rogers on TV while we were doing his morning routine—brushing teeth and getting dressed. Suddenly in the middle of this routine Kevin said “Look! Mr. Allen, look!” Kevin was watching a young girl (7 or 8 years old) with Muscular Dystrophy walk with arm crutches and braces. I turned to the T.V. and saw the young girl walking with extreme difficulty; her gait was very labored and required great physical effort. The young “poster child” was focused but smiling as she plotted her way onto center stage to be with Mr. Rogers. Kevin was awe-struck by the young girl; his eyes were glued to the T.V. As I watched her walk, I was more struck by Kevin’s reaction to the girl’s effort. Finally, when she made it to center stage, Kevin said (over a couple breaths from the ventilator): “Mr. Allen, that’s sad.”

I could only stare at Kevin. He was deeply touched and moved by the young girl’s limitations and extreme awkward gait. Kevin, in his hospital bed, propped up with pillows and attached to a ventilator was completely caught off-guard by this young girl’s fragile and highly noticeable plight in life.

“Kevin,” I said. “What about you? You can’t even stand.” Kevin looked at me with his big blue eyes. His eyes grew large and happy. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “I forgot!”

Throughout his life Kevin always showed compassion and concern for other people. It would have been easy to be stuck on himself and his limitations--but he never did. He always looked outside himself to the people and world around him.