While working as a camp counselor one day (actually most days) my friend and I were talking about how the kids that we were watching were our whole world. While we said this in a joking manner, we both knew that what we were saying was anything but a joke. The first few weeks after having to leave these kids and go back to school are always tough. You remember how much you love to work and hang out with them on a daily basis.
When I explained my summer job to someone the other day (and probably go into a lot more detail than they would like) they replied that my job must be sad because this child would never be normal. This really pushed my buttons for two reasons.
First of all, what is normal anyway? We all have our own quirks. Some of us sing too loudly around other people, some of us ramble or lose our train of thought a lot, some of us dance really crazy or are scared of silly things like elevators or birds. It would be really hard to define normal, right? Seriously, try to define right now in your head the word "normal." Hard, isn't it? That's because it doesn't really exist; and if it did, it would be incredibly boring. But these fantastic kids are branded as abnormal because their variations from "normal" are just more noticeable than our variations.
Second of all, these kids are more awesome and amazing than you could ever imagine. They have taught me more than I ever thought possible when I first started working with them. They taught me how to love, how to be patient, how to be kind, how to be flexible, and so much more. I honestly think I learned more working with these children in these past two years than I could ever teach them.
But to all of those people who think that working with kids with individual needs would be "too sad," let me tell you just a few reasons why I want to work with them.
Their joy for life is contagious. If they smile, whoever is around them also smiles.
Underneath the surface, they find joy in the simple things. I know we all need a reminder to slow down and enjoy life every once in awhile. These marvelous kids will remind you to do just that.
They teach you how to persevere. These kids struggle so much more to do daily tasks that we take for granted. Talking, walking, tying your shoes, or tunning out unnecessary lights or noises coming from the environment are all things that seem so simple to us. I see children with special needs struggle with these tasks every day, but they still manage to say or do something cute or funny that brings a smile to my face.
I cannot wait to work with these children, not only because of these three reasons but countless more reasons that I see every day. (Seriously, I would need two more articles to explain every reason.) And I cannot wait for everyone to look past the surface and see these kids for who they are: stunning and inspirational.
