A kid WITH a disability

In the back of my car there is a drawing much like this one done by my ten year old nephew. He did it one day when we went out and left it in the car for me.

I've never taken it out because everytime I see it, I smile. It reminds me of him and his sweet generous nature.

My nephew has CP.

We talk about our disabilities sometimes. Sometimes when we go out together and are both using wheelchairs, we can be quite a combination. I remember the day we went into Gertrude Hawks' chocolate shop to get him some chocolate candy. It was quite a small shop so he had to wedge his wheelchair in pretty carefully to manage. But, since it was candy, he showed better mobility than I've ever seen before!

"I want this one," he said, holding up a box of candy, oblivious to the fact that he was cutting off a few people.

The folks smiled indulgently and I gently showed him how to manuever his wheelchair with a bit more consideration. He looked at me and said "When I saw all this candy, I just lost my head!"

Because he's a kid. A kid who has to use a wheelchair for long distances. A kid who has many different physical struggles but an above average IQ. A kid who can be brave, fearless, generous, courageous - and at other times is afraid or thoughtless. Just like every other kid.

It frustrates him when he is treated differently. It embarrasses him when people stare at him when he does his PT in the pool or see him as a "disabled" kid.

When I see his struggles, I reach out to help him with what I've learned from my own . I tell him that God is always there. I explain that he is just as good as anyone else and, of course, his aunt thinks he's much better!

And I always remember that he's a kid with a disability - not the other way around. He's a kid first.