another book about disabilities

Last night, I finished reading Riding the Bus With my Sister by Rachel Simon and watching the movie (same title) starring Rosie O'Donnell and Andie MacDowell. Seth's OT recommended the book, so I borrowed it from the library -- and I'm SO very glad that I did!!!!! This was such a GREAT book. It's a memoir of Rachel's experiences with her sister Beth who has cognitive disabilities (new term I learned from the movie -- it basically replaces "mentally retarded" and sounds so much nicer). Beth refused to get a job or take any classes because she wanted to ride the city buses. She had formed relationships with many of the bus drivers, remembering what kind of coffee they liked, knowing all the drivers' routes and schedules, giving thoughtful cards and gifts on special days, and caring about the drivers' and some of the passengers' lives and families. Rachel set aside most of one year to ride the buses with Beth and become better acquainted with her sister.

The book, of course, stirred my thoughts and emotions because of the subject matter, especially since it dealt with Beth as an adult. I'm still not ready to seriously consider Seth's adulthood. Well, let's be honest -- I'm not even ready to seriously consider Seth's going to grade school! Anyway, the basic ideas or lessons of the book are kindness, patience, and respect. It's really easy to love Seth and treat him like other children because he's just a little kid, not much more than a baby. All toddlers are cute sometimes, exasperating at other times. All people with handicaps and disabilities were cute little kids like Seth at one point. Seth and all other people with special needs DESERVE the same kindness, patience, and respect that everyone else deserves, even when they're adults and possibly more difficult to get along with. They do NOT deserve to be treated like little kids when they're adults, and they do NOT deserve for people to be mean or rude to them for things that they absolutely do not understand. For many people, being around handicapped or disabled teenagers or adults is uncomfortable. We need to GET OVER THAT and show KINDNESS, PATIENCE, and RESPECT withOUT being condescending!