I May Be Different, but I Am Still Great!: David's Story

By Aimee M. Lorenz M.D and Chrissy McCalmont

Growing up has never been easy and one of the most traumatic things I can still remember, even at fifty, was being picked on and teased. Times were different though and although words cut like a knife we never could have imagined the same knife would be the knife cutting our own children. Who knew that bullying a child with cruel words would go so viral that they were shamed through a never ending internet that left them to be found hanging in their closets, or lying beside a smoking gun, or in a bathtub with slit wrists and of course the famous empty pill bottle. Is this harsh to hear? Yes, you bet it is! But it happens all too regularly. In my hometown area at least five young teens over the last two years have taken their own lives because they were bullied! Why? Because they were different. This book is not designed to help prepare your child for college or to help get them a high profile paying job one day. This book was written to teach them to be children, to love themselves for exactly who they are, that no matter what God loves them with all his being and that they are never alone and that however they may be feeling there is always someone else out there who is feeling the same! So instead of giving up, start reaching out to one another, draw on one another's strengths you can beat this ugly monster. This book was also designed to help mommies and daddies who may struggle with the right things to say to their child. Its not always easy to approach these issues and as parents we can choose to hide our heads in the sand or begin taking the early steps to be a part of building a strength and bond with our children that creates a beautiful human being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504921336

Aimee M. Lorenz M.D

Chrissy McCalmont has been married for twenty years and would tell you every day she falls more in love with her spouse and that has been one of the defining keys to her great success in life. She has 9 amazing kids each unique and wonderful in their own special way. She fills her day with children as she owns her own daycare, and when asked how she does it, she smiles and replies “A day with a small child will never have cruelty, hatefulness, or be full or revenge, and discrimination.” It has also allowed her to be home with her kids, especially her disabled sons and for that she is forever grateful. In her spare time she surrounds her life with family and close friends. Her home has always been a revolving door for those in need of a place to stay, an ear to bend, a great meal to eat or a night curled up on the couch with a glass of wine, soft music and great conversation. However five years ago Chrissy lost her beautiful son Alex at 2 1/2 to a sudden infant death and although devastating she, through her faith, has been able to put some of the pieces back together in her life. That being said it only makes sense that bullying and the increase of teen suicide would be an issue that would plague her heart as she has seen and endured firsthand the pain and loss of a child. Chrissy is no stranger to the amazing differences in children and embraces each one of their special patterns. However Chrissy expresses this story is written about the little boy that held his mommy’s whole world in his little hands, the little boy that never left her side, the one who made her laugh till she and when she cried, he cried too, the little boy that grew up to be a teen but still stayed home and helped with his disabled brother, and who also grew to be a clean fanatic like his mommy : ) This book is David’s story who is now a grown man going through Firemans School, working full time, and getting married this summer and even though he lives a distance away now he still manages to call her more than once a week and visits as often as he can and then drags her all over the city as if they were the best of friends. But as she pauses she takes a minute to express her gratitude to God because that little boy she loves so much was bullied, bullied until he quit school and had to pursue home schooling, bullied until he had an eating disorder, bullied until he experienced some self cutting, bullied until he hated himself, bullied, bullied, bullied, and why? Because he was a little different. But he was one of the lucky ones, he pushed through; he made it. But it all could have ended very differently, Chrissy knows all too well and that is why she feels God truly commissioned her heart to write this book; she believes God is the true author and his message is clear. It’s left up to you now if you have the ears to hear and the heart to listen.

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