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Come To Our House...(Dedicated To Michelle Kidwell with MUCH Love!) (One Away From Story #900!! :) ) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Friday, February 20, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
This is dedicated to my very good California friend, Michelle Kidwell. She has been a source of inspiration for me, and I get blessed each and every time I read her heartwarming and inspirational stories. She has also been a very big supporter, and I consider myself blessed in knowing her. Michelle, Thank you for all your support and love; this is for you! Enjoy~! (Thanks for the dedication on your latest story, "Mother of Many"! :) )
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Come to our house, and here you will not find any sadness, tears, or despair. You will, instead, find love (and lots of it!), hope, tenacity, lots of laughter, perserverance, and courage personafied ten thousand times over!
Our kids may be considered "hopeless" or "unadoptable" to many people due to the severity of their disabilities or other medical problems, but underneath the twisted, disfigured or missing limbs, cloudy eyes that see nothing, stopped up ears that cause silence, daily pain that threatens to rob the joy out of life, or even the hidden problems that affect school work and the ability to think or function normally, or cause small bodies to pitch forward to the ground in violent, cataclysmic convulsions, all we see are the inner beauty of these children, and to us, they are all perfect. They have all overcome so many obstacles that would test the faith of any normal human being, and they have managed to overcome these obstacles with a tenacity and a sense of courage that would cause a hard-hearted soul to break down into tears. Our children were all brought to us by the Grace of God, and He saw to it that we were to be the parents of these children; and it is through our patience, love, and dedication in helping these broken bodies that they have bloomed and flourished like brightly-colored flowers rejuvinated after a rainstorm.
Our children are our greatest joy, and we would do anything to make their lives a little bit easier or a little bit better. Sure, they face problems and obstacles that many other kids do not face; but they are NOT to be pitied, and we INSIST on treating them as any other child would want to be treated, even WITH their disabilities. We see them as kids with potential and promise; we don't see them as hopeless or unstoppable, even if the disabilities they have are life-threatening or severe. Even the ones who are dying or living with seemingly impossible handicaps have flourished under our guidance, and they have come so far ahead that it is amazing, even to US. Take Johnny, as an example. Even though he has a potentially fatal neuromuscular disorder, he is still witnessing to people, telling them about Jesus Christ, and he has such a happy, exhuberant (if somewhat shy) personality that brings out the best in people, and they are never sad for long when they are around Johnny. And Jodie: she is talking now, after years of silence, and a whole new world is opening up for her. And also take into consideration, Ronee' 's accomplishements: she is on the verge of becoming a bright new star in country music, having opened shows for many big country legends, and she has been blessed with a powerful voice that belies her small size. Even living with chronic pain and allergies hasn't stopped her from accomplishing her dream!
People still are amazed whenever they see us in person. They don't know how we find time to go on vacations or out to eat or go shopping when we both work and raise over three dozen kids who have serious special or medical needs; but we DO. We are always available for our kids if they need help or need advice, and we make it a point to spend as much time with our kids as possible. We also want our kids to experience what life has to offer, and even if that means taking them with us when we go out, then so be it. If people aren't ready to accept us or our kids because a great deal of them happen to be disabled, then that is THEIR problem, NOT ours; and people are going to have to get used to dealing with people who are disabled. Disabled people are everywhere, and they are an important part of society. They also can offer so much of themselves if they are given the chance, and also, people can become disabled themselves when they least expect it (like me: as a child, I fell out of a tree and severely injured my back, and I spent the next several years on leg braces and forearm crutches). My husband also became disabled when he got his arm caught in a machine when he worked in a factory, and now he has limited use of that arm, and also has since developed arthritis, degenerative disk disease in his back, and other problems. We were once active, healthy people, but now we both live with ongoing pain and we don't get around nearly as well as we used to.
Just because our kids are disabled or have serious medical problems, we are NOT going to deny them of opportunities to succeed in life, and we are NOT going to keep them hidden away, away from society; they are people, too, and they deserve as much right and as much of a chance to succeed, too, just like any other person, disabled OR "normal"! They are NOT to be pitied or stared at; they are just KIDS, and I will fight anyone who tries to hinder their chances to succeed in life! I will NOT deny my kids the right to a fair education or the right to be KIDS; I will let my kids experience the good and bad out of life, and if people can't handle my kids, just because of how they may look or act, well, then there's a very big problem somewhere along the line!
At MY house, there is NO room for discrimination, rejection, hatred, or misunderstanding. At MY house, there is only room for LOVE, understanding, hope, equal opportunities, ACCEPTANCE, and room to grow and flourish. This is why our kids have done so well in life, even though life has NOT been at ALL kind to the main majority of them. Our kids come from broken families, backgrounds filled with abuse, alcohol, drugs, or worse, poor, underveloped nations, racial or language barriers, or from institutions or hospitals; but they have ALL grown into very well adjusted, happy, (relatively) healthy, and ever smiling bundles of joy who bring out the best in people whenever they see them; and they are all very well accepted and loved (for the MOST part) by many people. It also helps that they have a solid, firm foundation in church and in God, and they know of the world and its pitfalls and what to expect if one of those "pitfalls" were to suddenly smack them right in the face. They know how to handle themselves, and they aren't afraid to try their very best, even if that means failing several times until they finally DO get it right. We aren't going to stop them from trying, and we are going to be there for them, each and every step of the way!
Even the kids who AREN'T disabled benefit greatly. They learn of tolerance, and they have since become our disabled kids' greatest advocates. They are always making sure that there are no barriers to hold our disabled kids back, and if there are, people WILL hear about it, GUARANTEED! They also learn of pride in seeing the accomplishments of their brothers and sisters, and they have learned to see them in a new light. They also have learned that even though the world is NOT geared for them or their special needs, they are NOT unstoppable, and they will see to it that their brothers and sisters DO succeed, if they have anything to say about it! In the end, they ALL benefit, and it is because of this that the world is a better and brighter place for BOTH our disabled AND nondisabled kids!
God has been very good to us and our kids; and it is because of His Grace and Mercy that we have overcome so much in the way of hurt and heartache in our lives; and it has made us stronger, better people, and we feel honored and privileged to be the parents of such a great group of kids. Our kids are our life, and they have proven time and time again that with God's Help, NOTHING is impossible!
When two men hit the reset button and decide to go out looking for the good in the world, they not only find it but also a lot more.
P.S. The title is listed on Amazon under Look for Something Good by Robert Drews (not by Robert H. Drews)
This is dedicated to my very good California friend, Michelle Kidwell. She has been a source of inspiration for me, and I get blessed each and every time I read her heartwarming and inspirational stories. She has also been a very big supporter, and I consider myself blessed in knowing her. Michelle, Thank you for all your support and love; this is for you! Enjoy~! (Thanks for the dedication on your latest story, "Mother of Many"! :) )
