I often hear callers say that doing the right thing is hard. Let me tell you about my grandmother. In 1940, she had a child with Down syndrome. She was told strongly by the professionals at the time that her son should spend his life in an institution, because he would never walk or be able to feed himself, and he’d have to wear diapers all the time. My grandmother declined and said she would take him home.
In 1940, there were no services for the disabled. She raised him and he WAS able to walk, feed himself and use the restroom on his own. My grandmother worked hard to make a relatively normal life for him, and she was lucky to have a lot of family and friends willing to help. Everyone loved him. My grandmother had no car, didn’t own a house, and had few luxuries, but people always helped her get where she needed to go. She never complained and said she would do it all over again. The doctors told her he wouldn’t make it to two years old, but while he didn’t outlive her, he was able to have a reasonably full life. So, to all those people who say it’s too hard to do the right thing, I offer my grandmother’s story. Nothing stopped her just because it was hard. She was an exceptional person and always did the right thing. She had grit, and I still miss her.
Sheila
My Grandmother Had Grit!
