Cartwheels

When we do our Charity’s CARE program, on our questionnaire, we ask “what are your top 3 hopes and dreams for your child’s future”. The #1 most common answer after speaking to over 350 families is this: “ for my child to grow up and have a normal life”. When speaking to Mothers and Fathers of children with various levels of special needs and physical disabilities- we’re talking from extremely mild to the very profound- to me,  a “normal life” means, that they don’t “stick out” in some fashion and that they will be accepted for who they are regardless of their condition. The question I always come back to is- what is “normal”? Keep in mind, I also feel that EVERY family has special needs just not necessarily with a diagnosis. This concept of “fitting in” and “what is normal” took on a whole new meaning about a month ago when I finally got my butt up to go work out at my favorite insanely hard bootcamp class and witnessed someone going to outrageous lengths to “stand out”!

Ok- picture this (Do I sound like Sofia from Golden Girls)…Saturday morning bootcamp class at the Y packed to the gills. Probably no less than 100 people filling the full size gym comprised of  ½ guys ½ girls. It’s one of those class that people religiously meet up at and find their weekly space. It’s basically the place that the folks who used to go downtown on the weekends pre-marriage and kids are now going to hangout and show off. Seriously- it’s greatJ

Well about 15 minutes into the packed class, walks in this woman carrying in her own equipment in what looks like a breadbasket, with her hair and makeup plastered in place (headband and all). To give you a visual, picture Olivia Newton John back in the “Let’s get physical” video. Now, throughout the class, she has herself perched in the very front of the room directly in-front of the mirror. What does that tell you, she is in the direct line of vision of all 100+ people crammed into this room!   This wouldn’t be that big of a deal except- SHE DOES HER OWN ROUTINE THE ENTIRE TIME! Then about 45 minutes into the class as everyone is gasping for air jumping rope for an entire song- my point is made…if it weren’t her arriving late to the class, her unique appearance, the fact that she perches herself in the front of the room doing her own routine for ALL to see…then it was this…while we were all jumping rope, from the front of the gym zigzagging between the circling ropes to the back- SHE DID CARTWHEELS!! YES-CARTWHEELS!! I am 100% serious! AND THEN, for all those who didn’t notice her the 1^st time, when we were all done doing push-ups, she DID THEM AGAIN back to her spot in the front!

Here’s my point in all of this…Mom’s and Dad’s all want their kids to have what they consider to be a normal life…but here’s the beauty of it all…look at the tremendous length some folks go through to be different and “stand out”. Some even do Cartwheels:)