Ruth Rathblott

An excerpt from Ruth’s book Singlehandedly

Thinking Outside the Box

“What do you want to work on?” she asks.

Sheepishly, I tell her, “I was born missing my left hand, and I hid it for years; I haven’t paid attention to strengthening my left arm or defining the muscles.”

“Oh, we can definitely do that; let me think a little.”

We experiment with a few moves and she tests my movement range and flexibility.

During our next session, she comes armed with a velcro-strap contraption that she invented; it is fitted with a snap hook clip that allows my upper arm to attach to the weight machines. I get to work out and use the weight machines just like everyone else. I begin to strengthen my arm.

By taking my challenge of wanting to life weights and strengthening my arm seriously, she allows me to feel like I can rely on others to help with my self-development and that I’m able to participate fully. She understands my need and takes the time and interest to create a solution for me. I feel seen and heard.