Modeling DEPENDENCY: a Lesson from the Life of a Mentally-Challenged Girl

I would like to introduce a life story that has been inspirational to me.  A young Irish girl left home and went to work, in the 1800s, in Ontario, Canada.  She was very limited in her abilities -- had not, for example, been able to learn to read, and was not only limited, but frustrated, as well.

Ann Preston, later known as "Holy Ann," became a believer, and eventually also eventually learned to trust, becoming a huge example of God's strength being made perfect in weakness.

I think that this example sometimes helps me more than the examples of saints who have been persons of great ability, since it is often in my weakness that things seem utterly hopeless.  Not that the examples of the latter are not helpful -- it is just that I seem to find myself in the position of Ann than of theirs!  So, that's a personal thing!

I have not been able to locate a children's version of the Ann Preston story, but I shall continue looking.    The book, "An Irish Saint," went through many publications in an assortment of languages soon after being published for the first time.

It probably should be required reading for life, I'm thinking.

There are various free sites on the web where it is available, including that of the University of Toronto press, but I thought that the format in the free PDF version, below, was one of the most readable:

An Irish Saint: PDF form

Here is a quick note from the cemetery records, which may be interesting, as well:

Commentary at "Find A Grave" website