To Sumi
In the prime of my life,
my world was shattered.
An accident broke my spine
and left me bound to a wheelchair.
After surgeries without number
and months of painful rehabilitation,
I returned home
to rebuild a life from a chair.
My younger brother stood beside me,
steady as a lighthouse in a storm.
He cared for me, encouraged me,
and refused to let me surrender.
With his faith in me,
I found a new purpose.
I became an author,
writing more than fifty books.
Many became bestsellers.
Newspapers and magazines told my story.
Reader’s Digest featured my journey,
and readers came to know my name.
Yet behind the praise and recognition
lay pain that few could see.
Every day was a mountain to climb,
and my brother climbed it with me.
He left a well-paid job
to care for me.
For seven years,
he placed my needs before his own.
Then he married.
I worried about the woman
who would enter our lives.
Would she see me as a burden?
Would my presence trouble their happiness?
Would she take my brother away from me?
The fears lived quietly in my heart.
But she welcomed me
as an elder brother.
She cared for me with kindness
and treated me with dignity.
She often placed my needs
before her own desires.
She gave up many pleasures
that others take for granted.
Because I needed assistance,
they could seldom leave me alone.
Yet she balanced our lives so gently
that I never felt neglected.
When children came into their lives,
she taught them to love and respect me.
They sat beside me after school,
sharing their dreams and laughter.
I helped them with their lessons,
told them stories from my life,
and read them tales from books
that carried us to distant worlds.
She could have filled our lives
with resentment and hardship,
but instead she filled them
with affection, grace, and patience.
She is the quiet strength
behind much of my happiness,
the unsung hero of my life—
a sister received
through God’s grace.
