My Memorial Day Tribute to THE Soldier in my LIFE!

Let me remember my brother, Billy, who was a soldier of life. Let me give you all the story of the man who changed my perception of life: Billy was really never able to walk normally. It didn't matter, he pressed forward... By the time he was 11 yrs. old, He was forced into a wheelchair in which he sat with his head high! Billy was a very intellent boy who grew into a very wise man.Billy lived his life to the fullest from that prison that was his wheelchair. He was thrilled when he got his first electric wheelchair and would put us all to shame zipping around the local malls when they had just come into being. People often talked to Billy as if he was retarded when really he was just crippled. I think it bothered us, his family, more than it bothered him.Our family always went to the beach in the summer which Billy absolutely loved! He had a special "ocean wheelchair" and my father would take him out into the waves with it! He also fished off shore, and amazingly, he did quite well! It was fitting that the last two weeks of Billy's life were spent at the beach...During the last year of Billy's life, he was forced to live on a respirator with a tube in His throat. He tolerated being "suctioned" every couple of hours for that entire year where a tube is put down the pipe in your throat and the mucus is suctioned out (it hurts and makes you choke). Still, Billy continued on with his life, playing on his computer everyday for which he made adaptive devices so that he could still type. (Mind you, this was the late 80's when computers were just becoming a way of life in America...)As usual, my family went to the beach for summer vacation in 1989. Billy was not totally well at this point, but he wanted to go to the beach anyway. He spent most of those two weeks in the cottage on the beach looking out the windows to the ocean blue. When it was time to go home, Billy asked my Dad to drive along the beach for one last look at the ocean. At the time, my parents did not know that it would literally be the last time that Billy would see the ocean in this life.Two week later, Billy died at home even though my Dad tried to revive him with CPR. His poor Muscular Dystrophy heart was done, and he went quietly into that night. I will always remember the lessons Billy taught me about pushing on and standing tall even when it becomes difficult. Little did I know how important those lessons would be in my life! Thank you, Billy! I love you! xoxoxo Your Loving Sistour, Cindyjo (Cj)