I feel like my heart is crying. I don't get how some people can be so hateful and hurtful, and insist on chalking it up to just exercising their rights. What about my son's right to live in a world without prejudice? Why don't people get that it goes way beyond the words we choose to use and or find acceptable coming from the mouths of others; that the words are merely the tip of the iceberg, so to speak? That what lies under the surface of that is a whole attitude about acceptance, tolerance, and compassion. Why don't these grown-ups understand that their actions will be reflected by their own children who will grow up emulating the words and attitudes their parents taught them by example? Why don't people want to make the world a kinder place to live in?
I am suddenly feeling very maternal and protective of not only Finn, but of all children, especially those with disabilities. I want to gather them all up: Finn and Dylan and Georgia and Malea and Avery and Reid . . . and on and on . . . and shield them from all the hurt in the world.
Adieu
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After more than two years and 555 posts (556 counting this one!), I'm
saying goodbye to Adventures in Motherhood. I'm ready for a change, and
I've started ...
13 years ago
6 comments:
Lisa, I completely understand you, I also feel very maternal and protective. All we can do is to keep doing our best, educating as many people as we can and thanking those like us that “get it” and would like to live in a more loving, accepting, compassionate and kinder world. Thank you for this beautiful, lovely and inspiring post. :)
Right there with you, Lisa. I dont understand it either.
I think that we need to just continue with what we are doing and that is to be positive advocates for our kids. The people that truly matter will get it. They will understand and will change. The people that don't...won't. And that is truly unfortunate for them.
Right now I am just trying to surround myself with good, positive stuff.
Lisa,
I agree with you so much on this. I can't believe what some of those women, those mothers said. I've always tried to be a kind person, but after having a child, I try even more. I can't fathom having Sydney grow up in such a world of hate. It's hard to think about those women having children and how they must be raising them to think only of themselves and never of the other person.
Big hugs to you sweetie.
I hope you don't mind that I lurk here. I hadn't known about that message board until I followed your link, and it seems to be all the people from my Oct. pg.org board that made me stop posting there. It's the worst of pg.org, magnified.
I can't begin to say that I understand where you're coming from -- I haven't been in your shoes. I'd like to say that I can't believe how you were attacked, but knowing those people, I actually can.
I have had similar conversations about the R-word and people defending it with the free-speech rhetoric. Ugh! The Tropic Thunder debate over the summer really brought it to light. I get that people don't realize the impact of the word, but when told about it's power and impact, I have a whole lot of respect for those who take the "my bad" attitude and conciously remove the term from thier vocabulary. I do my best to explain the impact to those who don't get it, and then pray for my daughter to not have to hear it when she gets older. I just recently had someone post an awful message on my blog. It was last Saturday, the night before our Buddy Walk. Ugh! Pop on over to my site if you'd like to read it. I emailed him to ask him Why he did it. The post is called "What posseses people"
As someone having a brother with mental impairments, I understand where you're coming from. Good for you for being an advocate for your son. He's absolutely gorgeous, by the way!
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