Be Kind

I noticed that at the end of every episode of the Ellen Show, she says “Be kind to one another.” That is such a simple message, but she says it every day- why? She wanted to do something about the bullying that consistently happens in our culture. Repetition helps people receive the message.

Recently I saw a quote saying “Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about, so be kind, ALWAYS.”  I want to stay away from giving my opinions and advice in this blog, but this is a good piece of advice.

Sometimes, we see people with children who have various disabilities, and we feel empathetic towards them. Feeling empathetic is good, but your empathy does not always need to be expressed. Just a smile can change the course of day- no need to try to compare experiences or somehow try to cheer me up by telling me about your uncle, cousin, sister, friend who also has a disability- that’s not small talk, and really, you don’t know about our journey. This is not me being negative, it’s just reality. I don’t mind talking about my son or his CP, but just be sensitive in how you ask questions.

There are lots of kids out there who have disabilities, and parents are the best advocates and educators. We work hard to give our children all that they need to live healthy and happy lives despite the medical diagnoses. However, we are not immune to mean or insensitive comments. (Sometimes the best intentioned person can ruin a day with their words).  Be sensitive,  but most of all, BE KIND!