A teenaged girl writes of her disabled younger sister, who uses crutches and leg braces to walk because of cerebral palsy; and she worries about people's reactions.
Kudos to Karla: she just named the unnamed narrator of this story! The teenaged narrator is now named Robin!
I'll next write about Robin! Stay tuned for her story! :D
I wish you wouldn't sit there, gawking, as you look at Raven whenever we enter. For one thing, it isn't nice, and it really bothers both Raven and myself!
Raven isn't an object to be stared at or pitied; she ISN'T a bug. She is a normal human child, and she deserves to be treated like any other seven-year-old child, not like a freak! She just happened to be born with a physical disability that affected her ability to walk, and because of it, she must rely on leg braces and arm crutches in order to get from place to place. Despite that, though, she is as normal as you or even myself, and when you stare, it makes her feel self-conscious and uncomfortable.
If you can get past the staring or noticing Raven's problems, you'll find out soon enough just how much fun she really is. For one thing, she loves to laugh or make jokes; and she tells the best knock-knock jokes this side of the Mississippi River! She also is a very talented singer and artist, and she has won awards for her artistic and musical abilities. She is very smart, and she constantly brings home glowing report cards. She makes straight A's in all her classes, and her teachers are all very proud of her and all that she has accomplished during her short school career.
Raven is also very pretty, with her long, dark-brown hair, freckled face, and green-blue eyes that change with her moods, and she loves to look "glamorous" at any given opportunity. She wants to either be a singer or a professional actress when she grows up, and she also wants to be President. (Quite a lofty set of goals for a child, wouldn't you say??)
But people usually don't see that..at least I don't. All I see are you staring at her, or hear your sniggering laughter or rude comments about how she walks or about the crutches she uses or the ugly braces she wears on her legs; and I am sorry, but don't you even consider for ONE second what that may sound like to my little sister? She knows she is different, and she is embarrassed enough about her jerky gait and her needing extra help from teachers or adults; why do you always have to bring up the obvious? It is only making her feel more embarrassed about herself and her handicap, and that isn't treating her normally!
All she wants in life is to be loved, accepted, and cherished, and you are only hindering her developing personality and am giving her a poor self image about herself. She is NOT stupid, and she knows when people are being nice or condescending towards her! She is a lot smarter than you give her credit for!
We had to learn to accept Raven and her disabilities, and when we realized that she would always BE handicapped, we went through an adjustment period; and while it wasn't easy, we did learn to accept her situation, and now I think she is the best little sister a sister can ever have! So WHAT if she may look a bit different than you: she ISN'T any different on the inside than you are, and she is as NORMAL a child as I am, even though I don't have a disability! She loves to do things kids her age do: she loves to play on the swings, go down the slide, or play games with her friends, she loves to sing or act, and she loves to read the latest books, just like any other seven-year-old! She is very sweet and loving in temperament, and she won't give in to her disability!
So, if I were you, I would quit staring at my little sister; Raven wants acceptance and encouragement, not pity or prejudice! Treat her as YOU would want to be treated, and don't be afraid to talk to her! You won't catch her disabilities upon talking to her or meeting her! You'll find out that Raven Nickole Ochoa is more than what may appear on the surface and that she is a normal little girl who just happens to have a physical handicap that is beyond her control!
This was a powerful well done story about how rude comments can affect a child, and at the same time it shows the love Raven has for Robin...Excellent piece...
God Bless
~Michelle~
yes we're all different under the surface. It's the mind that counts in feelings and not the outer appearence. I was sitting in front of a handcapped person on time and I refrained from looking at him but he got all irritated anyway. So I got up and walked away. Good story and point Karen. G
I think you voiced what anyone one w. a diabiltiy wants from others. I know I get tired of the stares when I use my wheelchair, but people who know me are able to see more than the girl in the chair, and that is what I would like anyone to be able to do. Chairs, crutches are just a means of getting around, b/c our legs don't work like everyone elses. Great Write!
Yes, people come in all forms, and we should treat them all equally no matter what the differences are, thanks for sharing such a realistic story with us Karen. One Love
Afrika M.A.Abney aka Ashawarrior
Reviewed by Robert Blackwell
9/15/2003
Our biggest societal failing is that we cannot look past our differences -- whether in gender, race, religion, heritage, physical or mental limitations, etc. Until we learn not to ridicule those who are different, or turn a blind eye to them, but rather to learn from and celebrate such things, we will never become a unified nation.
It's almost Christmas. Lynn Basil is writing her last book about a secret entrance into the magical doll land of Sha Bebe that she loves so much. Bagannos have taken over the world! Lynn finally meets her dolls in real life. Can she write in a Secret
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
