| |
|
Mothers
of Handicapped Children
by Erma Bombeck
A mother; This
parent heaven sent by choice; a few by social pressures
and a couple by habit. This year nearly 100,000 women will become
mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers
of handicapped children are chosen? Some how I visualize God hovering
over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great
care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to
make notes in a giant ledger.
Armstrong, Beth,
son. Patron saint Matthew. Forest, Marjorie, daughter, Patron saint
Cecilia. Ruttledge, Carrie, twins, Patron saint... give her Gerard-
he's used to profanity." Finally, He passes a name to an angel
and smiles. Give her a handicapped child." The angel is curious.
"Why this one God? She's so happy." "Exactly"
smiles God. "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who
does not know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has
she patience?" Asked the angel. "I don't want her to have
too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity, and despair.
Once the anger and resentment wear off, she'll handle it."
"I watched
her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is
so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going
to give her has his own world, and that's not going to be easy.:
"But Lord, I don't think she believes in you" God smiles,
"No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just
enough selfishness." The angel gasps."selfishness? Is
that a virtue? God nods. "If she can't separate herself from
the child occasionally she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman
whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize
it yet, but she will be envied. She will never consider a step ordinary,
when her child says "mommy" for the first time she will
be present at a miracle and know it; when she describes a tree or
a sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever
see my creations."
"I will
permit her to see clearly what I see..... ignorance, cruelty, prejudice
and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone, I will
be at her side every minute of everyday of her life because she
is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what
about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in
midair God smiles, " a mirror will suffice."
|