February 1, 2010
A Lesson ReLearned
Yesterday after Morgan's gymnastics class one of the new mothers asked the rest of the mothers if she could talk to us for a minute. Once she had our attention she explained to us that her son is Autistic, and although he looks like he is 5, he's actually only 3. She told us that he was in a different gymnastics class where the other parents did not like his behavior and actually got together and asked the teacher to remove him from their class. With tears in her eyes she apologized to us for her son's behavior and begged us to accept him and to not ask him to leave. I couldn't believe that this woman felt like she had to apologize for her son's disability. I couldn't believe that adults (regardless of whether or not they knew of his disability) would get together and ask that a child not be allowed to participate in an exercise program. I was so sad for this woman that these people actually made her feel like she should be sorry that her son is the way he is. She was so desperate for her son to be accepted and to participate in some physical activities and she was hurt so badly by other's actions. It really made me realize how cruel we can be to each other. It was a good reminder to me that I should never judge a parent of a child who is misbehaving or who seems out of control. And I should never judge that child either. Every child is perfect in God's eyes, regardless of their situation. I'm thankful for my 2 "perfect" children and I'm thankful for this woman who reached out to others and gave us a tiny glimpse of the challenges she faces every day. She reminded me of a good lesson I had already learned yet sometimes forget.
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4 comments:
That makes me kinda mad to hear when adults act that way. That is so inconsiderate and immature. I worked with a down syndrome guy for 3 years and he's the coolest ever! I feel those types of people are closer to God than the rest of us. Shame on those women for doing such a thing. You're a nicer person than me, I would have given them a piece of my mind. =)
People can be so mean. That is sad. They will have to answer for that.
Oh my gosh, Katie. I can't tell you how often I've had grown women act so awful to our son. I remember one lady, in Ft. Rucker actually, tell me I needed to "fix him". It has been a hard road for our family. It took a long time for me to get more comfortable (still not 100%!) with taking him out to places where there are other children. He's gotten much better with most of his behaviors, but now it's the kids that tease him. I always knew I'd have a child with a disibilty. The Lord prepared me in a number of ways, but I never would have expected the emotional toll it would take to try and overlook other's nasty remarks. Guess we all have our trials, right?
It is good that you can see the hurt she has. I say this with tears in my eyes, because some people- even after you tell them- dont care, are too scared or just too stupid to hear what I have to say. I had a hard day with Bree today and the stupid doctors, so this is really hard for me to hear. So thank you for listening and caring. You are as sweet as they come and I am blessed to have you in my life!
I feel that the more people know about things the less afraid the are and the more accepting they will be. So for those that want to know more about the stuggles of 'special' families I would recommend the blog
http://thruthetulips.blogspot.com/ They are amazing women that will give stength and hope to any and everyone! Sorry for that shameless plug, but really it is a fantastic place to go for insights into what some deal with everyday.
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