I have a special gift that I would truly love to share with others.
That special gift I have is the gift of friendship. Everyone enjoys the friendship of being friends to certain people (good friends or family friends). This also applies to people who are labelled “Mentally Challenged” for they too need friends.
I am mildly handicapped and while attending classes in the regular school system I have truly experienced the pain of loneliness: what it’s like not to have any friends. I had no school friends until, in 1974, I attended a special school for special needs students and while attending that school, I had friends!
Not only were these other students handicapped, they were the happiest bunch of people I had ever met.
These students were people (first) and their disability was second.
These students were very friendly towards me and I in return gave that gift of friendship back for accepting me as I was: Lori.
So now I enjoy being with others who are disabled and need that touch of friendship and happiness that I’m able to give to them.
I feel nourished when befriending one that is less fortunate than I. So if you want a friend, be a friend and share that gift of friendship.
“The love in one’s heart wasn’t put there to stay. Love isn’t love till you give it away.”
Letter to my Daughter
Lori, my sweet daughter:
I had a beautiful dream last night, all about you!
How much you have added to my life by being my beloved daughter. You have enriched my life beyond measure.
Your sweet presence, your gentleness, your acceptance of situations as they are, and making the best of them.
You are a dearly loved gift to me and I thank God for you. The situations that led you to our family were decided by God, you needed us and we needed you, I especially needed you Lori. You have taught me so much about love, acceptance, about what is really important and what is is just a decoration and sometimes emptiness.
Thank you for being such an important part of my life.
I am your mother and I love you, Mom.
