The interviewer’s focus in this discussion remained pretty close to the “lost, isolated and helpless” theme in her write-up. Listening through it afterwards, I wondered if perhaps she wanted more acknowledgment from me that such is the fate of people trying to raise disabled kids.

Readers of What About the Boy know that I don’t minimize the reality and effect of strong emotions. However, my view is that the value of anything said about this depends in large measure on finding a way not to feel lost, isolated, and helpless, and instead to feel empowered to bring about positive change – or at least to remain undefeated in spirit. It seems the answers I offered to her questions restated that point in various ways.

As I’ve written in other posts, everyone seems to encounter hardship, disappointment, injustice, etc. Some folks do have easier lives than others, but there’s no point or future in anyone arguing that they’ve been given a worse deal than someone else. When you take that path, you’re in danger of nurturing that sense of unfairness. I don’t think it’s constructive to direct your energies away from the neverending process of living victoriously.

Please click the above image to hear the audio. Click here to read the transcript. As always, comments are welcome.

Tags: Lillian Brummet, What About the Boy?

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