It is nice to belong. I think each one of us wants to feel like we are a part of something bigger, that we make a difference and we are not alone. The road to inclusion is still being paved over three decades after the first laws allowing children with disabilities to be educated in public schools. There are many obstacles that are challenging to overcome but in so doing we create a community and a society that is diverse and adaptable.
Gavin has made relationships with children and adults that he would never have had the opportunity to be exposed to in a more restrictive environment. I have made relationships with people and been afforded the opportunity to connect with my community in ways I never would have had if he was taking a bus to another town.
I am not going to say it is easy. I worry about how he will navigate this world. I worry about keeping him safe. I worry about drawing attention to ourselves because we are different. Then I think about every really great thing I have done in my life and I remember it wasn't easy, I didn't know how to navigate it, I didn't feel safe, and often it brought some attention my way. It was those things that helped me recognize the greatness.
2 comments:
I just want to say, I stumbled across your blog by accident, and I think you are a very courageous and strong woman to be raising three children on your own in the best of circumstances, let alone with a child who has a disability.
Society is coming a long way with regards to handicapped persons, but there is still so much that needs to be changed. I grew up with a debilitating form of ADHD and bipolar disorder that went undiagnosed until I was 17 because my parents had old-fashioned beliefs about mental illness. After years of struggling in school I am now a nursing student. I wish you all the strength that my sisters and I developed during those years and more.
I am praying for you and your family and I wish you all the best.
Suiiki, I am glad you visited my blog and thank you so much for leaving a comment. We are fortunate that you are going to school to become a nurse because we need health care providers that are empathetic. We need people that have been there, done that and can cut through the red tape to actually help. I know as a parent that we imagine our children in the ideal and then we must embrace the real (which is so much more than we imagined). Some parents need to stay in denial longer than others and it is a coping mechanism. I hope you will visit my blog again and keep me updated on your studies. I will keep you in my prayers.
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