A Heartwarming Experience....
© Mary Pantazis
You will realize how hard some people have to work to perform tasks that you and I do with ease.
I remember watching a boy in a wheelchair attempting to get a bowling ball to roll off the ramp and down the alley. The ball slowly rolled down the ramp. It went down the alley so very very slowly and knocked down 6 pins when it finally made it. Those 6 pins were a miracle to this boy. The crowd of onlookers clapped and cheered. The smile on the boy's face was worth a million bucks.
I also remember seeing an elderly couple, carrying in their autistic adult twins. Now that I think about it, the couple probably was not elderly, but the difficult task of raising and caring for these twins aged them prematurely. The twins were both wearing headgear because they were headbangers. The mother held one son's head steady, while the father held his arms so that he could send his bowling ball down the alley. Neither of the boys could stand up, so the parents would lay one boy down, and together pick up the next to take his turn bowling. These people were relieved by a few wonderful volunteers who helped with the job of helping the boys to bowl. I do not know whether the boys gained anything from the experience, but I know that for the parents this was a blessing. They found other parents who had similar issues with their children. They found a place where their children were allowed to do just what they needed and they got help with their children.
If you have never been to the Special Olympics, I advise you to take a look in your area for some area games. Bring your own children. You will go away with a warm fuzzy feeling!
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