Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a comic book superhero. She has super-speed, super-strength, and is able to fly. In the television series, Wonder Woman is portrayed by Lynda Carter. But Wonder Woman has had no real impact on my life. I don’t know which villains she fights or even what she stands for. My Wonder Woman is my aunt, Linda Carter.

These two women share more than just a name. They are both superheroes. My aunt doesn’t wear a leotard and cannot fly. She is paralyzed from the waist down because of a sledding accident and lives alone. And yet my aunt is one of the most amazing people I know. She’s always overjoyed to see my family and loves to buy us presents. Linda doesn’t allow herself to wallow in self-pity. She keeps her head up and continues to enjoy life.

The most inspiring thing about my aunt is her perseverance. Though her legs were rendered virtually useless, she has been in physical therapy ever since it occurred, meeting with her trainer at least three times a week. During the meetings, my aunt stretches and stands on crutches. She’s been doing these exercises for almost thirty years and hasn’t made much progress. If I were in her position, I probably would have given up by now. But Linda hasn’t. She’s continued to work and improve, however small the improvements seem to be. Now she is able to walk across a room with her crutches.

My aunt’s recovery has been a difficult journey, but she has still managed to maintain her positive outlook on life. Even though she’s technically “handicapped,” my aunt continues to live life to the fullest. Recently, she bought an Audi convertible. It’s a struggle to fit her wheelchair in the back, but she still loves the car even more than she expected.

My aunt has taught me that I need to accept life’s challenges and see how they can be opportunities to grow. Through all of the struggles that I will face, I need to keep living and taking full advantage of life’s opportunities. Even if they require great effort, I need to learn from all of my experiences and keep moving forward.