"No Thank You, I'd Rather Be Me!"

     Today, as I drove in to work, I asked myself what it really means to be normal.  I quickly came to the conclusion that each one of us is perfectly normal!  So why all the fuss about trying to fit in and be like other people?  What if people were loved and accepted for who they are, just as they are?  How different would our world be?
     I allowed my thoughts to wander a bit and I ended up in a place where even people with disabilities were accepted by others unconditionally.  I saw a classroom filled with children.  One little girl was seated near the window of the classroom.  My gaze fixed on her as she fidgeted and squirmed in her seat. Then, for just a few minutes, she stared blankly out of the window at the most beautiful butterfly I'd ever seen!  At that moment, the teacher asked the little girl to answer a question about the lesson.  "I'm sorry, but I didn't hear the question.  I was watching a butterfly outside our classroom window.  Could you repeat it for me?"  The teacher, very familiar with the little girl's tendency to lose focus, simply said.  "Would you mind if we asked you a few questions about the lovely butterfly that you saw?  I'm sure the class would love to take a short break and hear all about it!".  The teacher, you see, realized that the little girl's behavior was, in fact, normal for her.  Instead of embarrassing or scolding her, she seized the opportunity to boost the little girl's confidence.
     "Normal" isn't the same for any two people because we are are wonderfully unique beings.  I realize that  we cannot coexist without some limitation on our self-expression, but I do believe that we would all do well to lighten up a bit and learn to meet people half way on some things!  One of the most unselfish attitudes that you can have is a willingness to put your own terms and agenda on hold while you make a sincere attempt to understand and adapt to the needs or behavior of another human being.
     Children who are differently-abled deserve the same opportunities that everyone else has to express themselves and share their gift(s) with the world.  So the next time you encounter someone with abilities that are different from your own, don't be so quick to assume that they have nothing to offer you.  Don't smother their zeal and zest for life with an over sized pillow of your own agendas!
      Listen, watch and learn.  Everyone has a story to tell and a gift to share!