I'm in the midst of reading a novel by Mindy Starns Clark, a Christian mystery novelist.
I enjoy her books alot. Today, i was reading "The Trouble with Tulip". Jo Tulip is a columnist but she has a friend, Danny, who is a photographer.
This part of the story tells about Danny who was freelancing at a photo studio and had to take an assignment for an 11 year old handicapped boy. Below is not word-for-word from the book.
His mother wheeled him in. Then asked Danny to cover the stupid wheelchair
because she didn't like the sight of it. She only wanted close-ups of the boy's
face.
The boy could talk a little. When he first entered the studio, he was so
happy. But after hearing what the mother said, his eyes looked dull and he
couldn't smile.
Danny said a silent prayer to God for wisdom, took the mother to another
room and said these words to her:
"I don't pretend to know how hard it must be to raise a handicapped child.
But I know one thing. Whenever you try to hide that chair or call it
"stupid", it's like you're insulting your son himself.
"Please, ma'am, don't try to hide that chair in these pictures ..... Why
don't we get some full-length shots, even? why don't we let your son know
how good-looking he is in it? It's not stupid to him. It's like a part of
his body. It's his ticket to freedem."
After a moment, tears formed in her eyes.
They returned to the studio and the photo shoot turned out to be a success.
I have to admit that there are times it's so hard to bring Jonathan out to restaurants and crowded malls. More so if he starts talking so loudly, he can't tone down his voice. Sometimes it's especially at taxi-stands when there is a long queue, the taxi stops right in front of the queue, then when I have to carry Jonathan out of the taxi and all eyes will be on him.
I'm not embarrassed of my situation or of Jonathan's situation. It's just one of those days when I'm just feeling blue. To remind myself that we're there's more to it than this. More good things to come.
I'm an emotional wreck today ... not just about this but on other matters as well. But after tonight, I know I'll be ok.
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