A Tale of Two Childs

Each year the Women in Business Committee nominates an award called the "Athena" award. This award goes to an outstanding woman who embodies the qualities of strength, courage, wisdom and enlightenment.

This year the winner was Meg Johnson. I have known who Meg was since Jr High. She was friends with my older brother, and frankly, I think he had a crush on her for many years. To be honest, I was jealous of her. I secretly admired her, and did not really take the chance to get to know her. She was beautiful, confident and charismatic- That Meg was cool.

Fast forward a few years. My big brother comes home and tells me that his friend Meg had been in a horrible accident and broke her neck. She was in the hospital for a long time and when she went home, my brother and I visited her occasionally on Sunday afternoons.

A situation like that is so hard- they don't want to be pitied, but you ache for them and their challenge. I did not know how to act at first, I was never comfortable around her before, she was so cool- and I- well I wasn't. Now she faced a long road and I just did not know what to do. Meg was so welcoming to us, she made me feel welcome and like my visit brightened her day. Amazing, amazing girl.

I remember seeing pages and pages of paper at her home that she was practicing writing again- as her brother once said to me "her penmanship is better than mine." She cannot hold a pen like we normally learn how to. The weight of her arm is what she uses to apply pressure to write, and she has to weave the pen through her fingers so it will stay put. Now she draws and sells her Art to fund Miss Wheelchair Utah.

Well, I got married and my brother and I stopped visiting. I ran into Meg a couple of times with work where I learned she founded Miss Wheelchair Utah, was becoming an institute teacher, was an artist and many many other neat things. Then came the 2012 Athena award.

I went to the luncheon to watch her receive her award and I realized that this girl who intimidated me years ago was now a role model for what I can be when I decide I want to be something more. She was honored with a standing ovation- and I struggled to hold back tears. What a phenomenal example of strength and courage- and an example of never giving up.

Every time I run into her- I leave with a huge smile on my face. I am so grateful for her example and her willingness to take her challenges in stride and "keep on rollin" (that is her motto). I am grateful for her willingness to accept me- and treat me as a friend- even though we did not know eachother well. I am grateful for her patience with me, as I learned how to act around the new Meg- and her making me feel at ease.

I am grateful for her art- that is hanging in my office- that reminds me that even if I face a lot of challenges- I can still create beauty in the lives of others.
She is still beautiful, charismatic and confident. That Meg, she is so cool.