A beautiful essay by George Will about his son Jon, who loves baseball and life and recently turned 40.
Jon has Down's syndrome. Will has written frequently about the blessings that Jon has brought to his family.
Will writes frankly about the things that Jon cannot do. But Jon's personal gift, Will notes, is serenity. This is something I have seen again and again in patients and family and friends with Down's syndrome. They have a preternatural serenity, an essential joyfulness. It is a kind of wisdom, a wisdom about what really matters in life. Those of us without disabilities have much to learn from our friends and loved ones with disabilities.
May Jon have many blessings and many more happy birthdays.
The Torch,
ReplyDeleteYou probably shouldn't call them "retards."
I'll forgive you for the using the word. Forgiving the people who want to kill them is a little harder.
TRISH
And another thing, The Torch.
ReplyDeleteAllusions to National Socialism would be completely appropriate here.
Liberals see Nazis behind the "show-me-your-papers" law in Arizona, but nothing fascistic about killing the mentally handicapped. Unbelievable.
TRISH
I agree with both of you-- the National Socialist parallels are very real.
DeleteBut there still is a lot of good in people, even libs. Hopefully Will's story about his son will bring out good things in people, even if they are ideologically inclined to bad things.
But Jon's personal gift, Will notes, is serenity...
ReplyDeleteI have always seen serenity in these marvellous Down’s syndrome people and I have often seen the same serenity in many religious people, specially my parish pastor (le curé de ma paroisse).
I wish I could have that same serenity but the New (Liberal) Atheists won't let me: stupidity angers me and this is my main failing...