I was caught off guard the other day when I received an unexpected but very exciting phone call.  The Oswego Reading Council had awarded me 2nd place in their annual writing contest ! Each year the topic is chosen by the council and everybody in the entire county is eligible to participate. This year's topic was "The person I most admire is...".  Each entry was subjected to two rounds of judging.  Over 600 submissions went to the preliminary round of judging by the Oswego Reading Council board.  The top 10 entries were then given to a group of professional writers authors for the final judging. The award ceremony will be in a few weeks but for those who cannot attend I wanted to share with you.

"The Person I Most Admire"    by Amy Quonce

For years I have seen the subject of the annual writing contest come and go without much thought of it sinking into my mind. Then before me was presented this year’s topic: The Person I Most Admire. I was captivated immediately and without hesitation I had already begun composing drafts within my head. There was no doubt who I admire most in this world…my daughter.

My little girl (who will remain forever young in my eyes) has been overcoming obstacles since before she was even born. The doctor had crushed the excitement of my first sonogram when he sadly announced that my baby was going to be facing serious disabilities, and immediately sent me to see a specialist, who in turn tried to convince me to terminate the pregnancy. Tears streamed down my face as I stared off into space, trying to envision my future daughter’s life. And that’s when it came to me…she did have a future, and it was my job to make sure that she had the best life that I could provide for her. Six months later my beautiful baby was born and she has been the inspiration for my life ever since. Faced with many medical difficulties, she has persevered through it all. Never once has she grumbled about having to go to yet another doctor, or undergo another surgery. She takes it all in stride and has amazed her physicians every time. I will never forget the time that one prominent doctor, who has seen her since she was an infant, came up to me and proudly announced that he tells all of his colleagues about her because he cannot believe how far she has come. He never expected her to walk or talk, and now she has been a dancer for 12 years, and will happily tell anybody all about it who will listen.

My daughter was born with the good natured attitude that I dream of having for my own. In her eyes each person she meets is her best friend, and the world is full of individuals who get along with everyone, despite their differences. It is an innocence so rare that it simply must be cherished. Even after suffering from a personal tragedy, she picked herself up and never let the sparkle go out of her eyes. She possesses a special quality for finding the silver lining in everything, and I can’t help but smile each time I realize that this special child is my own. I have been given a gift so precious, that I often wonder what I did to deserve it.

During her short 14 years of life, she has turned every mountain into a mole hill without ever complaining about the journey that it took her get there. While she may still be facing a life with obstacles stacked against her, I know she will take each step with pride and give all that she can. And I will be standing behind her, awaiting to catch her if she should happen to fall. When this day does arrive, there will still be a smile upon my face because I am so proud of her in all that she has done. I wish that someday I could be more like her.

I would like to thank the Oswego Reading Council for bestowing this honor to me!