I'm not certain how I feel about this article. I sure wasn't inspired! Tell me what you think and then I'll share what I think. Turkle Dispel The Shadows Yvonne is a young, 20 something former student of mine with cerebral palsy who has spent her entire life in a wheelchair. Today, her life consists solely of sitting all day in her wheelchair, greeting customers walking in and out of a department store. Yet, to meet and talk with her, the radiance of her smile and the sparkle of her enthusiasm is so overwhelming, it is easy to dismiss her handicap and be captured by her personality. On the other hand, Robert is an older man who fell a great distance, fractured his spine, and spent several years in a hospital unable to move anything except his head. Over time, God blessed Robert, letting him slowly recuperate to the extent that today he can use a walker and move about. When I talk with Robert, he is quick to tell of God's blessings, but just as quickly, he suspends talking about his blessing of health to focus on his possessions. Each time I talk with Yvonne, I leave her feeling blessed of God to know such a wonderful person. When I talk with Robert, I leave him reminded of a handicapped person blessed of God who owns things. Although both Yvonne and Robert have a witness of God in their hearts, it is a shame how one demonstrates it and the other only talks about it. Some may live their entire lives in the shadows of handicaps or disappointments without knowing that if they shine brightly enough, the light will dispel the shadows. ~ Lawrence Brotherton

I think the person writing the article is a healthy able-bodied person who is egotistical enough to set himself up as judge of how someone "should" react to his or her handicap. Let him "walk" a mile in that walker or wheelchair and see how superior he is to other folks gratitude to God. What a petty, sanctimonious individual he is!!! Pat Las Vegas Turk McGee wrote: > I'm not certain how I feel about this article. I sure wasn't inspired! > > Tell me what you think and then I'll share what I think. > > Turkle > > Dispel The Shadows > > Yvonne is a young, 20 something former student of mine with cerebral > palsy who has spent her entire life in a wheelchair. Today, her life > consists solely of sitting all day in her wheelchair, greeting > customers walking in and out of a department store. Yet, to meet > and talk with her, the radiance of her smile and the sparkle of > her enthusiasm is so overwhelming, it is easy to dismiss her > handicap and be captured by her personality. > > On the other hand, Robert is an older man who fell a great > distance, fractured his spine, and spent several years in a > hospital unable to move anything except his head. Over time, > God blessed Robert, letting him slowly recuperate to the extent > that today he can use a walker and move about. When I talk with > Robert, he is quick to tell of God's blessings, but just as quickly, > he suspends talking about his blessing of health to focus on his > possessions. > > Each time I talk with Yvonne, I leave her feeling blessed of God > to know such a wonderful person. When I talk with Robert, I leave > him reminded of a handicapped person blessed of God who owns things. > Although both Yvonne and Robert have a witness of God in their > hearts, it is a shame how one demonstrates it and the other only > talks about it. > > Some may live their entire lives in the shadows of handicaps or > disappointments without knowing that if they shine brightly enough, > the light will dispel the shadows. > > ~ Lawrence Brotherton > > ==== FOLKLORE Mailing List ==== > We share stories, poems, jokes, home remedies, and much much more... > Most of all, we share our Hearts. > »§«:*´`³¤³´´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«

Pat Childs wrote: > I think the person writing the article is a healthy able-bodied person > who is egotistical enough to set himself up as judge of how someone > "should" react to his or her handicap. Let him "walk" a mile in that > walker or wheelchair and see how superior he is to other folks gratitude > to God. What a petty, sanctimonious individual he is!!! > > Pat > Las Vegas > > Turk McGee wrote: > > > I'm not certain how I feel about this article. I sure wasn't inspired! > > > > Tell me what you think and then I'll share what I think. > > > > Turkle As a disabled person who is getting worse, I too tend to focus on my "possessions". My prizes are plants and critters. These "things" are what are keeping me active and alive. To judge how a person deals with loss of body is the greatest insult to God. I read this article and was furious!! Doesn't he realize some people are ashamed of their new status? That not everybody is a people person? This whole article is so shallow and demeaning to all us crips.... and handicaps... it's a shame it was written. I can't be happy bubbly when the pain is consuming me. I can't be that person he idealizes when I just want to die from every thing. I am that person when I hold my frog or lizard or snail or rat. But I guess that doesn't count. This was a blanket indictment. Hey Fred!! Race you to the corner!! LOL Janis