When I was on my trip at Ski For Light, I asked a number of my blind friends about their experiences going to church. At least three of them told me they attended Catholic Mass in a local parish. When I asked about how their experience was for them, I received a mixed reaction - one reported it was not comfortable, the second reported that it was "okay" and the third replied "I don't know if everyone else is comfortable, but I am!"
Her name was Isabel. She told me that she loves music and likes to sing and dance at every opportunity. (And I witnessed this throughout the week!) She was emphatic about the fact that her enthusiasm for life - and her Catholicism - was contagious to others around her - and she was comfortable with that. In fact, she told me that the bishop knows her and ended by saying "How could he not?"
It's true. She has an outgoing, wonderful personality. Isabel could fit in anywhere.
This got me to thinking. I've always known that perceiving people with disabilities as different is really the attitude we need to work on changing in everyone. For someone like Isabel, her style of dealing with an attitude that she is different varies quite a bit from mine. I intellectualize - she dances. I speak up - she sings.
Neither of us is wrong and neither of us is right.
The bottom line regarding changing attitudes toward those with disabilities and achieving more inclusion is love. When any community acts out of love toward its members, many negative behaviors disappear or get checked as members become accountable to each other and the community at large. This atmosphere allows someone who loves to dance and sing to be herself, another who is more serious to be herself, etc. It also encourages each member to remain open to the needs of others and be open to change that benefits all.
So this Sunday at Mass, I found myself carrying with me the joy for life and faith that Isabel showed me. I smiled more. I laughed more.
Sharing our experience of joy in our lives is a great way to work toward inclusion, no matter how we choose to do that.
2 comments:
Good post, Ruth.
I think that the more comfortable people with disabilities are, the more comfortable it makes everyone else. And sharing the love and joy in our lives, is essential. It promotes understanding and when you have understanding, it hopefully breeds acceptance. In the end, we aren't different from each other.
I also find many people with disabilities to be very interesting people; their stories of what they have had to overcome are inspiring.
Thanks for your comments, Dream Mom. I've met so many interesting people with disabilities - their resourcefulness in particular sticks out in my mind, as well as their grace under pressure.
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