Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Happy Hump day and Happy Birthday

Well we are at the middle of the week again...Happy Hump day.
And it's my sister's birthday. In true gab form

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR D
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOO YOOOOOOUUUUUUU!
and many more.

Yep today is my handicapped sister D's Birthday. This is the one they told my mom and dad she wouldn't live past age 5. The jokes on them she is 49 today!
Back in the day they used to call all children (and/or adults) "Special".
regardless if she is handicapped or not she is still "special". But back then you didn't say that word unless you were talking about her. It used to drive me nuts. I would ask my parents if I was "special"? They would tell me no not in the same way as D. Well that right there was enough to make any child any age cry. But they explained to me that with all her problems they called her "special". That was before all the politically correct terms such as Handicapped,...retarded,...Mentally challenged.
So if I seen another person in a wheelchair or one who had Down's syndrome they were "special"
all other kids were just that....kids. And back then they didn't usually keep the "special" kids at home, they sent them to live in hospitals that could "handle" "special" people. But my parents thought that if God had given them a "special" child then it was up to them to care for her no matter what the hardships were. And there were hardships. When D was little she had problems when eating so we never could go to a restaurant. And when she was little she couldn't be left alone for fear of her choking to death. And yes she did choke a lot and mainly on......nothing.
And many places we did go to were not set up to handle a wheelchair. Going to the state fair was the hardest of all but mom and dad went and never complained much about the difficulties they faced each year. One of them being no place to go smoothly off a curb. Another was all the electrical cords running across the ground that they had to push and pull her over. Now of course they have little dips in the curbs for chairs,strollers and whatnot's to go down. And the cords are now covered so that when you go over them its like a speed bump. I will tell you now that my parents fought the fight for her to go to a place to learn(wasn't school although that's what D called it) And they did join the battle for the curbs and cords. They also started the war for those little buttons to open the doors. But it was for our state only they didn't realise they could have done more had they gotten all the states to fight at the same time.
So Handicapped or not my sister D is VERY SPECIAL to me and my sister C.
Love you D happy birthday. Love ya C!

3 comments:

barman said...

So is that why my parents kept calling me "special"?

Seriously, it is a shame people can not walk a mile in other peoples shoes. They would learn so much.

You parents are incredible fighting that fight. I am glad things went well not only in your state but everywhere.

Happy Birthday.

Walker said...

Happy Birthday to your Special sister D

It's a shame that parents have to do all the fighting and governments can't see it on their own with out outside interference.
Your parents sound like some of the first trail blazers who opened doors for many handicap people all over the world

G-Man said...

What a sweet tribute Gale...
She's loved thats for sure...
Happy Birthday!!!!
xox

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