Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the Children's Department in my church, called King's Kids. I started to volunteer in King's Kids in February 2008, to be a helper for teachers that are in charge of three- to four-year-old kids. But since yesterday was celebration day, all the children gathered in a hotel ballroom.
I was sitting at the registration counter, feeling rather flustered at the amount of things to do because there was a sudden influx of little adults, when I saw a boy of about seven to eight years of age. He had that look of a child with Down's Syndrome, and my heart immediately went out to him.
His behaviours, however, were not very out of the ordinary, though he could not converse very well with another lady who was sitting at the counter with me. With him was a church member I knew, Ms. R, and she guided him to do what needed to be done. Later, his mom came, and I was unexplainably glad that her love for her son was obvious - through her gentle look when she smiled at him, her hand on his shoulder, her soft voice, though she had a rather serious countenance. I later found out that they are visitors to the church.
About 15 minutes later, I saw a dark-skinned boy of about 10 to 11 years of age, who looked perfectly normal, until he started to move around and talk. He was brought in by Ms. R too, and I saw that he had trouble focusing - when Ms. R and his mom, a Chinese lady, asked him to look straight ahead, his head would swivel left and right, as if his point of focus was out-of-whack. Then when Ms. R asked him to go to the hall where the party is being held, he refused, and then ran directly to his mom who was sitting at the counter and writing something. He sat next to her, making rather queer noises. Ms. R told us teachers and helpers that he is autistic. My heart also went out to him, breaking a little to see a precious boy like him suffering like that.
Coming home after the celebrations, exhausted after taking care of rowdy but adorable little ones, I couldn't help but think about the abortion issue that is being debated on Xanga these days. I am not going to start a debate because there are too many already, but I wanted to write this post because the two things are connected.
I cannot even begin to imagine, correctly, the difficulties and stress that the parents of both those boys must have gone through, and must be going through. I will not be doing them justice by passing off a simplistic "judgment", saying that "oh, it must be hard for them", because even though it IS, how would I know for sure? How would I know how truly difficult it is to bring up an autistic child or a child with Down's Syndrome, unless I myself (God forbid) go through it in the future?
And then I thought, but what if those parents had aborted the two boys? What if they had known earlier that those kids will be with Down's Syndrome, or be autistic? Wouldn't it be easier for them if they had gone through abortions? They would not be saddled by kids who need all their care and attention, for without them, the kids would suffer. They would not have to go through the agonies and frustrations that I know they must endure (though to what extent, I do not know).
This is such a tough issue, I think. But for the parents, and God bless them, they did NOT go through with the abortions, but chose to bring up and raise up those boys. As far as I could see, both the kids were not suffering from malnutrition, abuse, or neglect. Even though one had Down's Syndrome and the other, autism, they did not behave badly. I am willing to bet that many times they ARE naughty and mischievous, stubborn and overly playful. But the thing is, their parents still love them. They still had chosen to go through the worse hardships of a parent with kids like that - worse because I doubt it's easier than the hardships of a parent with normal children.
All I can say is, may God bring abundant blessings to the parents of the two boys I mentioned earlier, as well as to the kids themselves. And please, excuse me while I shed a few tears, thinking about them.
Comments (29)
@AnchoressNun@xanga - Hie, and thanks for commenting! I tried to comment on your posts, but comments are not enabled in your posts.
Anyway, I wanted to say that what you are doing is really good. You have such a heart for people, as is obvious via your comment and via your posts. I also find it so sad that babies are abandoned on streets in SL and India 
Perhaps for them it's a norm, but it certainly is not for me or you...
Blessings to you, AnchoressNun!
Blessings and thanks. It was difficult leaving comments enabled with the time zones; the pm works though.
Many do not realise the utter poverty there is away from the tourist areas in Sri Lanka and India, in the wake of the tsunami. There is little food for the very poor; and meds and medical care? Forget it. Our Sisters have graduated from latrines to composting toilets thanks to a gift, but these are rare there. No mains water either. And thus women cannot feed babies. Culturally of course girls have little worth. If there was not the poverty, it would be different of course. Many of the tiny lives we rescue live only days; born to mothers who are themselves severely malnourished. This is why we make and sell our craft work and are deeply grateful to those who buy from us - and to those who simply donate money. Which will buy vital basic meds and simple basic food. Not judging ever; simply rolling our sleeves up and doing what we can..As Jesus bids us in Matthew 25.. feed the hungry and clothe the naked for then you do it for me. How can we refuse; and how can we, who have plnks of sin in our own eyes, judge the desperation of others? We all have so much do we not? http://www.xanga.com/sistersofgraceofchrist
Blessings this day
God bless! And good for you!...Thank you!
i have volunteered with both autistic and down syndrome kids. They are the sweetest children ever. It is so sad to think people would have abortions just because they are autistic or down syndrom. What the world coming to when we can kill babies that are not "perfect" what's next eugenics the ' nazi;s all over again. Think what danger it could do if we start aborting babies because they have some sort of disease or trouble. What;s next.