Athlete of the Month
Pleasant Grove High School
Inclusion, Love & Joy
While Joshua was attending Pleasant Grove High School, he truly thrived on the love and understanding and inspired teaching he received. I will always love the many special friends who were and still are incredible blessings in our lives because of their love and sacrifice for Joshua. In fact, I was so thankful for the lovely lunch ladies at the school, that I wrote a thank you post for them:
http://joshuasheartfullofhugs.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-lovely-lunch-ladies-at-pleasant.html
Joshua's incredible teachers, Lisa Clark and John Kernan and incredible aides, made sure Joshua was involved in school activities and adapted sports. Well, one day in 2002, Pleasant Grove High School called and invited me to an assembly because they were going to honor Joshua. I quickly called my brother Doug and asked him to come with me, and we hurried down to the school. We were thankfully able to sit in the first couple of rows on the right side of the auditorium waiting for Joshua's special award. And Doug was ready to capture this special moment on film, which he perfectly did!
As the assembly began, the student leader announced the introduction of this month's "Athlete of the Month" ... Joshua Eisenstat! I was overwhelmed with this special honor!!As Joshua started to appear on the back part of the stage, one student helped him walk out toward the front of the stage (which is always a challenge because he can be very resistant), but once Joshua heard the student body very loudly cheering and clapping for Joshua, he jumped up and down with his wonderful smile and pure JOY!
And the student body cheered and clapped for Joshua for a very long time! It was an indescribable moment of joy and acceptance and love for Joshua!
He did not understand the nature of the award, but he definitely understood that he was LOVED by the students and faculty at Pleasant Grove High School. He was so HAPPY!!
Joshua was an incredible athlete in every way! He loved and cheered for his own team And he always loved and cheered for the other team as well. Everyone mattered! He was enthusiastic and happy! He always did the best he could. He usually did not earn the gold medal, but he always placed first place with his incredible HEART!
I was an incredibly proud and happy Mom, and like Joshua, filled with joy and love!
With all of my heart, I thank
Pleasant Grove High School,
for their recognition of my very special athlete
and son!
#athleteofthemonth, #pghs
