Today I guess I got a view of how others see me. Sort of. (The "sort of" I’ll explain soon.)
Near our grocery store lives a family that has a daughter with some kind of mental impairment. Often I see someone (I don’t know if it is a hired worker, or an elder sister?) walking with this older teen to somewhere. It could be she is even over 20, meaning that she is probably setting out towards a closed workplace. Otherwise I assume that she is going to school. The problem is that this teen is almost always very belligerent, and obviously upset about something. I can only assume that this family has checked out their options, and are working to make the situation better for both themselves and this young woman.
And I admit, I think to myself, “My G-d, I hope that Ricki..” (who has a belligerent side) “…won’t be like that in 6 years.” As much as one reads about the loveliness of “diversity”, I prefer, definitely, that Ricki will be congenial and happy.
Don’t I wish that for all of my offspring?
And I will divulge that yes… I do have thoughts of “Gee, how does that poor family manage with this?” It sounds very close to the pity I would not want to receive from others.
Sort of.
Why “sort of”?
Because I don’t see the family as “unfortunates”. I see them as a family coping with a challenge. And I am sure that they have benefited as well from the experience.
But I do hope that they are working on improving the situation.
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