Lessons from Zachary: Turning Disability into Possibility by Sandy Scott (review)

FROM BACK COVER:::

Sandy Scott had it all: a beautiful country home, a successful husband, and the freedom to be a stay-at-home mom. 

Then the news crashed down on her like a Tsunami: her infant son Zachary not only had severe brain damage but probably wouldn't live past his first birthday. 

As denial gave way to despair and grief, Sandy looked out over the new, strange world into which her family suddenly found themselves thrown and wondered if they would ever know happiness again.But it was in the very challenges that Zachary's condition presented to her that she discovered her own hidden inner resources and a whole new level of compassion among other people. She eventually took on greater roles in the disability community and found her calling as a life coach.

In Lessons from Zachary, Sandy shares the knowledge and insights she gained through her own personal journey of discovery and overcoming obstacles, showing us how to use our strengths to navigate life's difficult situations to find meaning and lasting fulfillment. Scattered throughout her moving story are multiple useful tools from life coaching--Life Wheel, checklists, Miracle Question, and others--to help us develop our unknown potential.

MY THOUGHTS:::

It seems like everywhere I turn in my life I know or know someone who knows someone that is dealing with a disability of some sort. As a mom, I have 2 boys who are on the autism spectrum. Because of my own experiences, I was interested in reading Lessons from Zachary: Turning Disability into Possibility by Sandy Scott.

I will be honest. This was a hard book for me to read. I found it full of anger and frustration and a mother who was full of insecurities. To me, it was more about the mother's insecurities and her story rather than anything learned from her son. If we remove her son from the equation, then you get a story of a mother who will stop at nothing to learn who she is and how she needs to succeed in her life. If you take her son out of the equation, then you get a story of how a woman learns to follow her heart and her instinct and overcomes obstacles to become a successful coach and business woman.

However, the title of the book is Lessons from Zachary, so you can't take her son out of the equation. I understand that it was within trying to make sure that her son was taken care of that Ms. Scott had to make certain decisions that led to her life of coaching. However, it felt to me like the story that she was writing was not one of what she learned being Zachary's mom, but rather as a woman who is trying to find her place in the world. To me the writing was choppy, and she didn't explain certain situations very well. I would have loved to learn more about Zachary, but it was almost like who he was as a person with a unique personality was an afterthought.

I came away from reading this, frustrated that she didn't delve more into who Zachary was and how HE was the motivation for what she does. Rather, I came away learning that she became a coach, that she has a massive disdain for her ex-husband and that she is very insecure about who she is.

DISCLAIMER:::  I received this book from The Cadence Group in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.