I knew I was going to post in here at some point. I was waiting till I was calm enough to do so. I’ve posted a number of times about my son who I am extremely proud of. Boyo is globally developmentally delayed. In appearance he is a very handsome young man. He walks with a bit of a gait, he speaks only a few words, but his laughter is totally contagious.
Over the past nine years I have had many many many, oh man too many people tell me how to raise him, what I am doing wrong, as opposed to possibly something I am doing right. I don’t push him hard enough, I push him too hard, I could go on and on forever.
I have a beautiful, intelligent little boy. Yes, the key words in that statement are “little boy”. He is, like every other 9 year old, a little boy. He plays with cars, loves music, and does all the things he physically can do. Saturday he did his first full somersault on his own at his gym class and boy did we party at the excitement of it all. He high fived everyone in the place.
What I care about is that I’m raising a child who is loving, cares about others, tries his best, is proud of his own accomplishments but most of all, he has self esteem.
I wish people would educate their children about the handicapped. I have one sister who has kids that are awesome with boyo and include him in games and play. The other sis, her kids, well they are not welcome in my home for the way they have treated my son. Their behaviour is shocking to me as my sister and I also had a brother who was very severely handicapped and in fact died of the complications. My parents would never have stood for us behaving like these two do.
I watch, with pain as my son watches out the window at the two little boys across the street who don’t include him in their play because he can’t speak but makes noises.
I watch, with pride as he helps someone on the school yard who has fallen and hurt themselves, knowing full well that, the same child wouldn’t help my child if he had fallen.
I don’t gives a shit whether a person is black, blue or pink, has glasses, braces or three eyes. They are all people. Sad but true, in this world, there is alot of misconception about people with disabilities.
Yes some people just want to help, but being critical of how anyone accomplishes something, that isnt helpful in my mind.
MaryAnn, there isnt a book in the world that will fully explain what its like to live with someone with a disability. Each disability is so completely different and each person with a disability is so completely different.
The fear and the pain is at times overwhelming but the happiness and laughter that goes along with those little things accomplished far overshadows the sadness.
Do what you do best, be a mom and live your life the way you see fit. You live with your child and know him best. And if he is as spunky as you are girl, he has a great start!
