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| Merry Christmas from our house to yours. |
I
was just reading an article on inclusion and thought of my friend Simon. Behind every kid or adult who is included and
a part of the community there is a family supporting and advocating. In this case a super mom who
advocated passionately for her beloved son.
In
high school I met Simon who was amazingly intelligent, funny, smiling eyes, and
above all great kindness. He was also nonverbal,
wheelchair bound, and vision impaired. I would usually bump into him by the
elevator. He went on to study at Temple University,
where we again bumped into each other from time to time as we hustled to our
classes.
I would love to say I was a great friend to Simon. I wish in hindsight that I would have been a great friend to
him. I wish I was still in contact with him. I
think of him often and rather miss bumping into him. I admire his strength and
his perseverance greatly. I am sure he had his bad days when he cursed his disability
and the many challenges he faced. I am equally sure that he is still embracing
life and living it. He is a great guy and his mom and those who helped him
along the way did an amazing job of ensuring he lived “inclusively” and I was
blessed to spend some time as his “community.”
My
Christmas wish for all of you is that you too be a part of an inclusive
community whether you be a parent, family, friend, or advocate. Never stop advocating.
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