| My son looked at me, Confused, Not understanding Why other children were calling him names. He looked at me And I had no answer to give. I guess I could have said They were just being mean, Showing the world their ignorance, Maybe that their parents had not taught them better. Or I could have explained how People are often afraid Of that which they do not understand, Including children who are different. I could have told him to ignore them, Or maybe to confront them. I might have suggested he tell his teacher And let her handle it all. The thought "It's better to just walk away" Came to mind, But I did not voice that either. I simply looked at my son, Held my arms around him, And said "I don't know Justen, I just dont know," As a tear started down my cheek. For sometimes, I have learned, The best answer is the truth! By Odis E. Shultz |
| WHY? |
| There are always going to be others who see our children as different, who ridicule and mock them. There are always going to be bullies. We cannot change that, as it is the nature of humanity to lash out at things we do not understand. What we can do is try to do our best to educate others about special needs children. Let people know what ADD is, or Autism, or Cerebral Palsy, what have you. We can stand up for our children. We can also lead by example. We can teach our own children to accept others as they are. There is never going to be a perfect world, but we can make a difference if we stand together for our children. For a child may have Autism, or ADD, but she is still a child, he still has feelings. And tormenting hurts. So give your child a hug today, set him or her down, and talk to him. Explain to him or her that we are all human, we all bleed, we all hurt, and that just because a person may be different, in the way they look or the way they learn, doesnt mean he is a bad person, only that he is unique. Good luck! |
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