Polly Black
A MOTHER'S VIEW
Over the last several years I have learned many valuable lessons and
suffered many heartaches. You see, I am one of the many parents in this
country who has a child with a disability. I know it may seem to most that
all I talk about is my child's rights. Or how I want my child to be treated
the same as all the other children. It is true. I will not be silenced
until I see that society has made an effort to treat and respect its members
who have special needs. Sometimes I feel that most of you don't understand
or even care about the feelings or the well being of the disabled. They
are human and they DO have feelings. You may not hear them or see them
express themselves, but I promise you, if you took a little extra time
out of your busy schedules you, would find that disabled are the most loving
and caring people you will ever meet. Children with special needs know
who the ones who love and care for them. If you do not want to share in
my child's life that is your choice. One day, I hope that you will realize
the wonderful times that you missed out by not being a part of the life
of one of the most special children God ever put on this earth.
Yes! I admit to having an attitude! I sometimes feel like
screaming out loud to the whole world "YES! My child is disabled!"
Just to stop the staring and rude questions. I am tired of being
pushed aside and ignored by the ones that are supposed to care the most,
my family. I will not accept being shunned or shut out from the world.
No one will treat my child as if she is less than any other. I admit
to periods of bitterness, anger and hatred. Of course I feel that it unfair
that I was chosen to take care of a disabled child. The thing that
makes me most angry is to listen to the parents who have healthy, normal
children complain about their kids, it almost makes me sick, sometimes
I wish for just one day that these parents could live in the shoes of a
parent with a child with special needs to just see how lucky they really
are. I may not ever experience the joy of watching my child crawl, walk,
or even talk, but will just be thankful for the time that I have with her
and the joy I have experienced taking care of her. Holidays are really
sickening to me, I sit by and watch my child get the baby toys and while
normal children receive the toys that are popular and age appropriate.
People do not realize that a child who may not walk or talk might enjoy
and benefit from popular toys too.
With time, I have learned to deal with these emotions and have realized
that I have one of the most precious children in the world. I would not
trade or ask for anything to be changed about my child. I could never
love or care for anything more than I do my angel from Heaven.
I realize this letter may have been of no importance or value to the
ones reading it, but I have no apologies nor regrets for writing this,
I am my child's only advocate and I plan on speaking up loudly so the whole
world can hear me. I pray to God every night that he will give me
and my child the strength to beat the odds that seem to be against us.
Someday, maybe our world will be one big family instead of it being separated
into different categories or social cultures, God created us all equal
and can only hope that we all realize that one of these days.
Updated January 2, 1999
HOME
To Dr. Mom
Mail to Dr. Mom