Disability -- link

Interesting disability-advocacy site by a Catholic
HT Amy Wellborn
I think I will be checking in on it again in future as Aidan gets older. Some quotes:

"Many people assume that living with cerebral palsy means that I am endlessly confronted by my body's limitations. Actually, this is not my experience. Having cerebral palsy means living a life in which innovation, improvisation, creativity and lateral thinking are essential. In practical terms, it means knowing which cup fits snugly into the sink drain and doesn't tip over when I pour coffee. It means finding the same challenge and enjoyment in finding my balance on an icy sidewalk that my friends find as they master tai-chi. It means being ever-conscious of the number of drinking straws in my possession in the same way that a smoker is always aware of the remaining number of cigarettes. It means paying attention to breathing and articulation, like a jazz singer crafting a phrase. It means bracing my wrist on the table before I grasp a glass of wine in the same way that Emma braces her left hand when she threads a needle. As far as I know, Emma does not long to be a brain surgeon every time the eye of a needle eludes her thread."

also this:

"In the quest to figure out what equality means, many of us confuse it with symmetry. The commonly accepted definition of "fair" seems to be "a tidy thwack down the middle of everything." It's as if we believe that equality can be mandated, maintained and meted out by an exacting and humourless accountant. We've decided to take a longer view of equity. We know it isn't about treating people the same, ending up with a carefully balanced sheet at the end of each day. It's about quality of life, negotiation, interdependence and long-term relationships.. We're learning that giving means contributing what you can where you can, without obsessing about what you don't have or can't do. We know that what we get back is often unexpected, generous and complementary. It creates a different kind of climate -- life is less structured and more fun. Imagination, flexibility and humour are a bigger part of our lives -- things few of us feel we have enough of."

More and more, as Aidan grows older, I am respecting that his disabilities, while not chosen by him or by me, are part of the deal he has been given and the trick is that it's how you play the hand that counts. As he moves into his 8th year of life, I am so often impressed by his ability to engage in things, his hunger for experience and competence, his sense of playfulness with words.

"So early in the mooorning, before the FIX of day," he sang yesterday, smiling at me and emphasizing the key word to show me it was one of his opposite jokes.
That one took me a while to figure out. You can see the whole song here.
Even when I figured out that the lyrics originally called for "break" he still had to explain it to me. "Break -- broke -- FIX." Okay, Aidan, now I get it!