Dear Lauren,

Happy Birthday!!

Today is YOUR day to receive gifts; I hope these letters are ones that you can open at any present moment, and feel LOVED AND APPRECIATED!

With that being said, and I say this with NO EXAGGERATION, THE UNSEALED IS, and will ALWAYS BE, one of the BEST PRESENTS EVER given to ME (even if I purchased it myself)🤣

As you probably know, words, phrases, etc, mean the world to me!

The IMPACT that this phrase:

“TURN YOUR SECRETS INTO SUPERPOWERS – Lauren Brill has on me is one that is on top of the standings for me!

Through YOUR STORY AND the creation of THE UNSEALED, YOU HAVE taught me not only to talk with pride about my difference to literary WALK with PRIDE, and do NOT let ANYONE step on your toes, PREVENTING you to go after your dreams and GOALS!

Much ❤️

Jake

Loving yourself is not easy
Thinking about it makes me dizzy.
My head spirals like the wind
I think about what could have been
Would my love for myself be different if I had not let society’s opinion take me on this tailspin?
I wish I were a dog
Not remembering their last internal sin.
Giving myself love should not be difficult
But my happiness does not come from within!
Relying on others for my happiness will never allow me to feel that “win”
All it does is cause me to throw my accomplishments into the trash bin
However, it’s never too late to recycle
Recognizing where I have been.
Self-love is hard
But life is like a sport
Always giving you a chance to get that comeback win
Before I throw my accomplishments in the bin
Not remembering where I have been
I certainly will remember this poem and its satisfaction.
I love myself because I know I can win!

Do you remember when I loved you?
I often think of the hell that we went through.
How many times did we almost die?
How many times did we whisper dirty lies?
Do you remember all the things we would see?
I often think of the affects you left with me.
I’d be lying if I were to say
maybe we could love again one day.
In the past, so many things you took.
When I was with you
My voice, oh how it shook.
You dimmed my light with all you kept from me.
I roamed the darkness for years, unable to see.
You let me go first.
You told me that I was the worst.
We both knew it had to end, for what it’s worth.
Now, I’m truly free.
For I used the pain to build a better me.

Dear Mikaela LAUREN tick.

Today is the 10-year anniversary of which you PHYSICALLY passed.

Whenever I talk about you it’s ALWAYS in the PRESENT TENSE because I KNOW that you are ALWAYS guiding me down the hill , “looking down” on me, BUT that is the EXACT OPPOSITE. You look UP to me because of the thing that I fear people look down on me for.

As I go into the work force, I worry that no matter how sharply I dress, my Wobble will force me to immediately turn around – hey that rhymes😂

I know that you are there with me, telling me,“You are the one that needs to walk that frame of mind out the door!” I slowly have by writing about my disability.

Losing you physically will never become clear to me; it is clear as day that you are with me by this telling story.

Several months ago – maybe a year, I went out with Aunt Debbie and started telling her my struggles to feed myself the confidence I needed. On her suggest, I started following this on Instagram.

One day, while waiting for the bus to go skiing, a favorite activity of ours, I scrolled through my account and saw she was being interviewed on this platform, The Unsealed.

The platform turned out to be run by a woman named LAUREN, a former Sports Journalist, who created it to allow people such as myself, to tell their stories.

I JOINED and every since, I’ve been UNSEALING stories about my disability and life AND you bet THIS is GOING UP THEIR!

Please consider donating ANY AMOUNT of $$ to help Mikaela’s mission and the reason she IS an OT, SEEING the ABILITY in people!
The link is on my Instagram and Facebook bio!

LOVE YOU,🐘

JAKEY💜

This is a ramp; at first, I took a picture to post on my social media platform to credit Buffalo Wild Wings for having this ‘assistant’ for people like myself who need an alternative to reach their destination. Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate not having to worry I might have ‘egg on my face’ before I enter the establishment or my cheeks being red, not because I had spicy wings, but because I fell.

Having two letters attached to my name is hard. These letters are CP. If I wanted to take the ‘steps’ — in my case, the longer route, I would say cerebral palsy, but my parents call me Jake instead of Jacob for a reason, right? Yes, my jokes are making this longer.

As I thought about posting this picture to social media, I pondered, “How could I post this phenomenal demonstration of universal design and make it universally understood?”

As I muddled for an answer, my subconscious blatantly interjected, “Your fudging kidding me, Jake? You know better; this is about your valid desire and craving for others to comprehend your sometimes paralyzing negative thoughts when ‘boxed’ or thinking you are ‘boxed’ because of two letters, CP.

So…after all of that stewing over, I realized the ramp served as a reminder, “I do not only need a ramp for physical assistance; I also need it for mental assistance! Fortunately, I do, and I hope you all do too! Keep unsealing your stories; this UNSEALED family has you!!

Usually, when one writes a cover letter, one details the education and related experiences – what “qualifies” them for the job. I did not; I told a personal story of how my life experience is more important than any bullet point highlighting my work skills and accomplishments.

The position I applied for is working with a media company as a fellow. With diversity as a critical component that the company is looking for, I figured I was qualified for the position because of two letters I closely associate with, “CP.” Cerebral palsy is its full name, but someone or something which is well-known or we are close to will often get a nickname.

I can’t take credit for the shortened version. I presume that goes to Dr. John Little (the bearded one who discovered the condition in 1853).
Even though in my letter to the company, I did include bullet points about how my disability enables me to diversify the content taken in by audience members, I avoided the most powerful reason as to why I am a journalist in the first place.

After countless hours of work, making sure every T crossed and I dotted, the application page refreshed. Seeing the blank text boxes got me thinking of the text in my cover letter. Each failed attempt to turn it in turned into another attempt to fix the darn thing. Finally, I decided to call it a day with the dome of negative thoughts destroying me, one thought bubble after another.

My mom could see the displeasure on my face – the eggs I had the morning before were not sunny-side up. She suggested asking a family friend in our apartment building for guidance.

I went over with my mind made up: “I am sending what I have; I’m only here so he can help me submit what I have!” That did not happen, of course, and it turned into a whole family affair — I knew it had to be somewhat good because non of the three dogs ate the printed copy.

After much deliberation, we concluded that – you guessed it, rewrite it over again. When the post-memorandum finished, the plan of action was to really hit the ball on the bat, explaining how I ended up in a field where talent is often overlooked and substituted for one’s looks, and even though I have dabbled in some Adaptive Fashion Modeling, the way I saunter along is not exactly cover of Sports Illustrated worthy.

I mention all of this to convey that the thing you wish people would walk by might not be a clear path, but it will eventually get you to your certainly straight purpose.

As my mentor, Jason Benetti, said when asked if he minds talking about his CP.
“It’s part of me; so many people travel this world and don’t know what’s unique about them. I already have one built-in!”

Whether yours is built-in or not, I hope you find YOUR STRAIGHT PURPOSE.

Much love

Dear Unsealers,

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

Proud to be part of this MAGNIFICENT group of writers and PEOPLE! Keep on INSPIRING OTHERS to BE THEIR BEST AND DO THEIR BEST!!

With Love

Not a Second Apart

Not a second apart… born 1lbs and 13oz, you were there with me from the second I was born. You were there when I was first put on oxygen — not getting to see where I lived until Three months after May 23, 1996.

You were there when I first cried through those doors, it was you who lifted my head, letting me familiarize myself with what must’ve looked like a jungle… our house; a place you saw just a week before the Jewish holidays.

You were there when I had my first seizure at 2… the same time I was diagnosed with CP, which must have been somewhat of a bitter-sweet moment…after all those doctors I went to, or should I say we went to.

You were there when I first rolled over – which must have seemed like the first night of Chanukah, not knowing how many candles (activities of daily living skills I could do or how many key milestones I could reach).

When I wanted to go to college, it was you that I confided in and we made it through, fast-forwarding to now, when I timidity crawl through the process of finding a job, it is you that always reminds me, to keep being you, no matter how awkward you walk… never stop running to your dreams and jokingly or not jokingly saying, “ if you fall, you know how to get up!”

You are me and I will always love you!

Jake

Mentor: what do the last three syllables of that sound like? TOUR, a guide, and in the word MENtor, it’s MEN who are guided along for the tour of life: not literal men, people.

I remember it like it was yesterday, the place, middle school, the time, 2009, I was only 11 but, oh, I hear that rhythmic bell blasting right now;

it was the very first day of sixth grade when That final bell rang, it was time to go home!

I had an aide whose job was to help me with everything I needed. We walked downstairs, she at my side, making sure I did not get clobbered by all the rascals passing by me. We ended up “in the clear”. What came next was clear as day, forever seared into my memory…

“I learned more from you in one day than you can ever teach me,” she said. Her name? Ms. Rossi, and at the time. I remember thinking whoever this Ross guy is, (her boyfriend) he is a lucky man, and he eventually put a ring on it!

Anyway, excuse my diversion, As I was saying.. that compliment meant and still means something that even a Picasso painting can explain and anytime I need a jolt of motivational coffee, I envision my 11-year-old self hearing that endearing comment and smiling ear to ear; however, that statement, “I learned more from you in one day than you can ever teach me,” could not have been further from the truth!

A couple of days went by, and my mom’s best friend, a second mother to me, and my Occupational therapist, (OT) came into school for what seemed like an eternity! She taught me how to properly sit in this “special” blue and red chair.

Ms. Rossi did not blink an eye, as she was swallowing it all the instructions given to her up. As for me, I was swallowing it all up, then regurgitating it all right back out. Hey, can you blame me? My OT has a strong tone and after all, she is like my second mother.

I sat there like a flight attendant and only moved when my OT told me to.

She was the one who taught me how to do my daily activities in life which I was ignorant of and would have rather watched paint dry.

When my OT left, I took a deep breath of thank goodness this is over. Then, I remember taking one more breath – this time with excitement because Ms. Rossi whispered in my ear, “I promise you, I will NEVER be as hard on you as she was.”

Let’s just say, it was Ms. Rossi that did not remind me to take my binder to the next class and forced me to go back to retrieve it. That boy who thought her boyfriend was lucky to have her, now saw a different side, a fierce side.

I must say that if we played the Newlywed game, she would know every answer before the questions were asked.

I vividly remember having a gag reflex, and she could tell if it was an itch on my back or because I failed a test; It was like she could see into the future. one day, I was in class without a care in the world and thinking I was disrespected by my other teachers by them not having the same expectations Ms. Rossi did! she whispered in my ear, saying “I know YOU don’t want to have an aide and want to go to college: I don’t want to be an aide; I want to be a Headteacher.

it turns out that that whisper spoke as loudly as anything I’ve heard in my entire life, Propelling me to ignore all the whispers about me not being able to succeed, and not only getting an undergraduate degree but in turn, a masters degree.

As for the now Mrs. Candel, she has two children, she is a Headteacher and yes, it is at that same school, teaching english and social studies.

All I know, whatever lesson plans she has for her students, nothing will EVER compare to the LESSONS she TAUGHT ME!

Photo Credit: MenTOR