Inspiring Story:"The Child Called It"

"One evening, towards the end of her "game," after I had finished my chores, Mother slammed a plate of food in front of me. The cold leftovers were a feast to my eyes. But I was wary; it seemed too good to be true. "Two minutes!" Mother barked. "You have two minutes to eat. That's all." Like lightening I picked up the fork, but the moment before the food touched my mouth, Mother snatched the plate away from me and emptied the food down the garbage disposal. "Too late!" she sneered. I stood before her dumbstruck. I didn't know what to do or say. All I could think of was "Why?" I couldn't understand why she treated me the way she did. I was so close that I could smell every morsel. I knew she wanted me to cave in, but I stood fast and held back the tears.

Mother had another favorite game for me while Father was away. She sent me to clean the bathroom with her usual time limits. But this time, she put a bucket, filled with a mixture of ammonia and Clorox, in the room with me and closed the door. The first time she did this, Mother informed me she had read about it in a newspaper and wanted to try it. Even though I acted as if I were frightened, I really wasn"t. I was ignorant about what was going to happen. Only when Mother closed the door and ordered me not to open it, did I begin to worry. With the room sealed, the air began to quickly change. In the corner of the bathroom I dropped to my hands and knees and stared at the bucket. A fine gray mist swirled towards the ceiling. As I breathed in the fumes, I collapsed and began spitting up. My throat felt like it was on fire. Within minutes it was raw. The gas from the reaction of the ammonia and Clorox mixture made my eyes water. I was frantic about not being able to meet Mother"s time limits for cleaning the bathroom."

You have just read an excerpt from the novel "The Child called It" by Dave Pelzer. Dave has experienced a truly extraordinary life. As a child, he endured the horrors of child abuse, which included physical torture, mental cruelty, and near starvation. Upon Dave's rescue, he was identified as one of the most severely abused children in California's history. At age 12, Dave's teachers risked their careers to notify the authorities and saved his life. Upon Dave's removal, he was made a ward of the court and placed in foster care until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 18. As a young adult Dave was determined to better himself--no matter what the odds. Some of Dave's distinctive accomplishments have been recognized through a number of awards, as well as personal commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush.In 1993, Dave was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans.

My goodness, I really am still in awe of what Mr. Dave Pelzer survived and overcame as a child. Boy, sometimes you feel like your troubles are greater than everyone else , only to realise that there people out there who have been through so much more and still managaged to overcome the obstacles. If you can get your hands on a copy, I highly recommend you read this book. I found this book really inspiring and I know you will too. I also came across a document where Mr. Pelzer shares some sage advice how to overcome any adversity in our lives, I think its definately worth reading.Click here for Dave Pelzer's advice