Mary-Judy is our oldest child. She is 33, but she has the mind of a six-to-eight-year-old child. She was born with brain damage that left her mentally disabled. In addition, she has mild cerebral palsy.
Mary-Judy will never live on her own. For one thing, she is too trusting. Secondly, I worry that if she would ever get out on her own, she would end up getting hurt, and I don't think I could live with myself if anything bad were to happen to her.
Mary-Judy works, but she works at a factory for people with disabilities. She works every Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. A bus picks her up and brings her back. On weekends, we are busy doing things with her, such as taking her to the zoo (she loves the cheetahs and the monkeys the best), taking her out to eat or to the mall, taking her to church (she accepted Christ into her heart last year, as we all did), and playing with her nieces and nephews. In addition, she loves to draw and write stories.
Mary-Judy can walk, but not well; this is why she uses two canes to help with her balance. Sometimes she has fallen, but thank God she's really never hurt herself except for a few minor bumps and bruises. She is very resilient and is a very fast healer. She always has been.
In addition to Mary-Judy, we have another child, a son named Randy. He is 35, two years older than his sister. He is perfectly healthy. He watches out over his sister; he is her guardian, her protector. He lives on his own with his own family, but he stops over often to check up on Mary-Judy and to visit with us. He also brings his wife, Glory, and his three children (sons Randall, Jr. and Corey, and daughter, McKynsi, who are six, four, and two) to visit. We always enjoy it when our son and his family come, but none so more than Mary-Judy because that means more play time for her (and for the children).
Well, I am in the middle of doing a load of laundry (plus the dryer bell just sounded), so I'd best go. I hope you enjoyed reading about our family, in particular Mary-Judy. We cannot imainge our world without her; she's brought much in the way of joy! I hope to write more in the future! Take care and God bless!
