On A Hobble Jog

My daughter recently bought a wheelchair for her American Girl dolls. As soon as we got home, she ran upstairs and immediately started playing with it. About 30 minutes later, she called me up to her room to see what she'd been doing.

Alli was so excited - not just because she wrapped the doll's leg with a "cast," but because she also put her doll into a Hobble Jog shirt that she took off her Hobble Jog Bear. She said "look Mommy, my doll is going to have to Hobble Jog for a bit until she gets back on her feet. It's going to take a lot of work, but she's going to be fine."

The Hobble Jog Foundation is close to my heart. I am a member of the board and both of my kids have met Susan Hahn, the founder - each spending time listening to her talk about what it means. It gave me such a sense of pride seeing the connection that Alli made between her doll, struggling, and Hobble Jog.

The Hobble Jog Foundation supports teens and young adults recovering from neurological trauma, inspiring them to meet their full potential. You can see why this would be important to me and why I am a part of the organization. The idea is that as long as you keep moving forward, it doesn't matter if you have to hobble while you jog - you're still jogging. Use the analogy in any challenging situation.

I certainly have done my fair share of "hobble jogging," while recoving from my TBI and with the other challenges that I've had, both from the accident, and with those not related. We all hobble jog at some point in our life. It's part of our growth as a human being.

I am so excited to be a part of this organization. I look forward to making a positive impact on others who have experienced neurological trauma. I am especially thrilled about continuing to allow my children the opportunity to understand and value a growth mindset - that challenges have to be worked through, and with time, perseverance, and a whole lot of hard work, you can get through it and make the best out of a given situation. Additionally, they get to understand that everyone hobble jogs at some point, and we should approach those individuals that are having trouble, with patience, compassion, and empathy.

Comments

  1. Susan M. HahnNovember 5, 2018 at 9:47 AM

    I did indeed have the pleasure of meeting Alli. Hearing what she says, and seeing the doll with the cast melted my heart. What I love is that Alli always reminds listeners that the HobbleJogging will not be forever and people get better and will be strong again. Such a positive spirit. You Go ALLI!!!

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