What I love the most about Mary and Courtney is how easy it is to relate to them. Before I had any friends with special needs, I think that I thought of people with special needs as "other." I mean, their experiences were vastly different than mine, and I had no idea what they were thinking or what they could understand. There was almost something scary about that unknown.
But then, I got to know people with special needs and I realized - they are just like any other person. They have pain and joy in their stories. There are things that they understand and things they don't.
Ever since I came to that realization, I've tried to do little things to help others realize that, too. I'm not talking about anything earth-shattering here. Just very small things - smiling at and acknowledging someone with a visible developmental disability. Talking to them the way I would talk to anyone else. I'm in a season of life where I'm primarily taking care of my daughters, but I am constantly aware of what I am teaching them by the way I treat people who are different. Ultimately, I'm trying to teach them that we're all different in some way, and it's important to treat other's differences with the same tenderness that we want out own to be treated with.
Mary and Courtney have truly been a challenge for me. I'm the mother of two girls, and I don't always love them, treasure them, and show them the patience that they deserve. But seeing how Mary and Courtney love each other - it's stuck with me. When I'm tempted to get frustrated over something trivial, I think of them, and of the love they have for one another. It isn't perfect. But it never gives up.
Thank you, Mary and Courtney. Thank you so much for your witness!!
And, if you can, consider donating some money towards Courtney's medical expenses. She is is on her way home to God, at this point, and anything you can do to help smooth over this time for her family would certainly be appreciated. To contribute click the donate button on the sidebar of Mary's blog. And most importantly, keep Courtney and her family in your prayers in this very difficult time.
