Tuesday, February 5, 2008
A Deeper Knowledge of Ourselves
This weekend, one of our martial arts instructor's thirteen year-old son left this world. He had lived with Downs Syndrome, and his body expired from pneumonia. In Islam it is understood that individuals with profound mental-emotional challenges are Abraham's righteous whose presence among us stays the wrath of God because they are incapable of sin--if one accepts that true, or mortal, sin requires awareness of the consequences involved. Death is always inconvenient, but when one of these people leaves, innocence is somehow less accessible, wrapped in human form. The danger of this line of discourse is, of course, the tendency to metaphorize the individual--the mentally challenged are not the chorus of a perpetual Disney musical; rather their smiles amid tantrums, excrement and the stuff of life we try so diligently to avoid, call use to a deeper knowledge of ourselves. For those like my friend, whose spiritual journey necessitated the care of her son, these righteous are an invaluable mirror of love of God, perhaps more so than the most eloquent homily or treatise--arguing with unconditional love is exceedingly difficult. Please make Paula and her family the focus of some of your prayers or transcendental well-wishes.
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When I was younger I volunteered at a camp for disabled/mentally challenged individuals that one of my mother's friends ran. It was an eyeopening experience, much like that of a relationship with this young man. What is often remarkable to me is the fact that most of those who are mentally/physically challenged aren't so much 'perpetually happy' but 'perpetually optimistic'. Sarcasm flows like water for them, and they always seem tougher, and kinder than the general population.
On the subject of 'physical challenge'/disability, I think that the office of disabilites or whatever handles that sort of thing on the UIS campus, should put on a very special workshop. Through my adventures in the world of 4-H, I was able to participate in a workshop of the title 'How difficult can this be?' that simulates for participants what it is like to do daily tasks if they were disabled, such as in a wheel chair, had cerbral palsy, hearing loss, blindness or partial blindness etc. etc. I think that it would be an eye opening experience to some of the administration and students on this campus if they were to experience what it is like for a student with disabilities to try and attend college/live on their own. I know the experience was very beneficial for me and how I perceive individuals. (Best part is, the workshop is through the University of Illinois Extension, the research and development arm of the U of I system... so in other words... its free....) Ok, I'm done advertising now... Cheers!
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