My Son -- the Winner!!

For those of you who know me well, you know that I hate the word "retard." It is a cruel, senseless word that hurts many innocent people.

The other day I looked up Special Olympics on the computer. One of the first things I read made me very happy. Special Olympics is trying to get people to take a pledge refusing to use the "R" word. Then I scrolled down the page to other websites and one site drew my attention. I clicked on and began to read. I won't mention the website here because not only it is not worth anything, it is also very hurtful.

It was written by a young man who apparently was asked to help in Special Olympics at one time. I began to read and I thought that he was going to tell about what he had learned as a volunteer and have something positive to say. Was I ever wrong!

He made malicious statements about people who have special needs. He seemed to have a very limited vocabulary indeed as he favored one word which should be censored.

At the very end of the article, he had a picture of a runner finishing the race and winning. The caption under the picture read, "Even though he won, he's still retarded."

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. Obviously the young man who wrote this article had no life. How could he? In a way I almost felt sorry for him. He does not know the value of a person. He does not know that God made everyone and everyone has a purpose. I would like to ask him the following questions:

How many 29-year-old men do you know who have cleaned house for the last 10 weeks for his mother who had surgery?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who do the laundry every week without complaining (acually love to do it)?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who do not complain that they do not have a car to drive and are grateful for those who provide their transportation?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who will stand by their mother when she is in terrible pain and shed tears for her?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who cut the grass, take out the garbage, rake the leaves, and shovel the snow without being asked?

How many 29-year-old men attend church faithfully Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening and Wednesday Evening and pitch in and help wherever they are needed?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who love to meet and greet people as they walk into the church, making people feel welcome?

How many 29-year-old men do you know who touch other's lives in a significant way--one person at a time?

My son! That's who! He is a wonderful 29-year-old man who happens to have Down Syndrome. He has meant so much to so many people. We cannot imagine our lives without him. Whether he wins or loses a race, it makes no difference. He is our son, and he is God's creation. He is a winner!!!!

How can we possibly measure the worth of any individual? When someone writes an article such as this young man did, I can only hope that he will somehow find God.