What is your unique trait? Having a unique trait is an amazing thing to experience. It can be scary sometimes though, depending on your condition. Later in life, once you get used to having a unique trait and learn more about it, it may not be a big deal. There are many ways to describe and treat unique traits because we are all different in special ways.
What some people see as a disability is what we call a unique trait. I have met many kids who were born with a unique trait, and they are proud of it. They explain to me that it’s like being born with a gift, sometimes without a cure. I thought it was unusual to think about conditions that way, until they showed me two Bible verses, Romans 12:6 and 1 Peter 4:10, that mention God giving each and every one of us a special gift. After reading the Bible verses, now I have more respect for other people’s unique traits.
I actually don’t like it when people say disability because we can still do certain things, such as having jobs and doing daily chores around the house. A friend of mine at Camp ASCCA told me that just by saying “disability” is insulting to us, and I can now understand what she means. It can be hurtful. It is not everyday someone gets such a beautiful gift from God, and I look forward to meeting new, unique-traits people next summer.
In 2011 a friend of mine and I created a saying that helped me get through school with harsh people. The saying is D.F.T.S., which stands for “Don’t Forget To Smile.” The saying actually means to be nice to everyone you meet. It also means treating others the same way I want to be treated. That is what I did the entire time at Camp ASCCA, and I made many friends at camp because of the saying. They treat me the way I would like to be treated. They also think that I am specially created.
Unique traits and D.F.T.S. really do make people like me stand out. Unique traits separate regular people from people who have conditions that make them unique. People can be hurtful with words, but they have no idea who they are dealing with because they don’t know what it’s like to have a unique trait. I hope my sharing D.F.T.S. with you will help you to handle other people being hard on you and give you confidence to explain to them what unique traits are, so they will understand. You are specially created, and Camp ASCCA was specially created just for you and me. I can’t wait to meet you next summer!
Located in Alabama on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of traditional recreational and educational activities with a unique design for accessibility.
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