Kindly Table Your Judgement

Let me just start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who is pitching in for our rock painting/hiding endeavor.  I am truly overwhelmed and humbled by the response to my posts on social media and the number of people who have read this blog.  You are all amazing!  Two important things have happened in our lives over the past several days since Super Robby returned to school.

The first thing is one that has my hackles raised in a big way.  Below is Robby's school picture.

Now at first glance, this isn't an altogether terrible picture.  But if you know Robby, then you know it doesn't take much of an effort to make his face light up with that contagious smile.  And if you know him, or have followed Service Dog For Robby on Facebook for any length of time, then you also know that he wears glasses.  There was one incidence years ago where he wasn't wearing his glasses and it turned out to be an oversight by the teacher.  Robby had been napping right before picture time and in the chaos of getting all the kiddos organized and out the door his glasses were left behind.  No biggie, it happens.

But this time was different.  When I asked his teacher about the missing glasses she informed me that she hadn't been at school that day, but she had noticed when the pictures came back that NONE of Robby's classmates who wear glasses had them on in their pictures.  Clearly this was the photographer's choice.  And you know what?  I have a big problem with that.  As a parent in general, I celebrate my children's differences.  I'm not raising sheep.  As the parent of a special needs child, I take even more pride in the things that make Robby stand out because they are symbols of his strength and perseverance.

To that photographer who apparently sees glasses as being unworthy of his pictures I say this.  To you those glasses may be something "uncool" or not "attractive" enough to make your photos what you want them to be.  But here is what those glasses say to me.  They say that despite the fact that Robby was blind until he was 8 months old (and the doctors thought he would always be), with the help of those glasses he can SEE.  So to me, those glasses are proof that miracles can happen.  And you really should have taken a moment to try to crack a joke or do something, anything, to make him smile for the photo.  Trust me, it would have been worth it and it's your loss.

I just want to note here that although retakes are not available for spring pictures, Lifetouch responded to my email complaint right away.  They have apologized, issued a refund, and promised that this information was forwarded to the appropriate department.  My anger has nothing to do with the company as a whole.

Okay, rant over...venting complete and all that.  Let's move on to the second important thing that happened.  Although if I had to rank them, this one would come out on top.  It just made sense to present it second here.  This morning Robby participated in the 2018 Spring Special Olympics at his school.  And there was proof everywhere of how amazing all these children are.

Nearly all of Robby's classmates wear glasses, and 100% of his classmates are absolutely inspirational.  Many of them wear leg braces, use wheelchairs and/or walkers, and a couple of them are non-verbal.  But never let it be said that they cannot express themselves.  Those children brought me so much joy today as I watched them tackle obstacle courses, participate in races, and all of the other events we rotated through.  I was proud of each and every one of them.

Several of the athletes participated in the opening ceremonies.  And with the help of a special communication device, one of Robby's non-verbal classmates even made the announcement of the commencement of the event.  This was our second time attending and I have to say, if you haven't experienced the Special Olympics then I highly recommend adding it to your calendar.  The love, support, and just general happy atmosphere will amaze you.

Let me wrap this up by saying that I posted this today with the hope that it would shed a little light on the struggles these children face each and every day.  But also to show that they do this with a strength, courage, and positive attitude (most of the time) that rivals that of the "average" person.  So before you look at one of these special children and decide there is something "wrong" with them, please take the time to actually get to know them.  Because if you do, I think you will fall in love with them just like I have.  These children are inspirational and their differences should be celebrated, not hidden away like something to be ashamed of.

If you would like to see more pictures of today's Special Olympics, head on over to our Facebook page.  There are also a couple of fun videos!