Just A Little Push For Emma

This blog has been on my mind for some time and it only comes with so much thought that I am not sure how to write it out. So, I think I am just going to write the story raw and unrestrained..so here it is.

Emma is a first grader at school. She is blind and anyone can see, she has several physical set backs. When I met Emma I was very curious as to how Andrew would receive her. I would never think that Andrew would be mean or unkind, in fact I was more curious as to what his thoughts were about someone who was very different from him.

The other day he walked in the door and Gregg looked at me and then back and Andrew. He asked Andrew to explain what happened on the playground and instinctively I wondered what went wrong.

So Andrew looked at me and said "Well, I took some time and pushed Emma on the swings at recess."

I looked at him and of course my heart melted ever so slightly.

"Why did you decide to do that?" I asked him.

"Well, it just looked like she needed a little push."

With that simple statement he took off running and playing. Later he explained he alway has to tell his name when he is around her because he knows that she will learn his voice.

It was a mom moment for sure. I had asked Andrew if it scared him or bothered him that Emma couldn't see like he could and he just looked at me blankly and shrugged..."Why would that bother me?"

It puts one quickly to shame sometimes when you comprehend the pure acceptance a child could have. I had to step back for a minute and realize there are so many people around me that just might need a little push. I am guilty of getting wrapped up in life as it moves forward, but sometimes that busyness only makes me blind.

I think at times, Emma probably sees better than I do. She is more likely aware of the movement, the voices and the needs around her then I tend to be.

So, if we get a moment to close our eyes and and go "blind" I wonder....what we would actually see. I bet it wouldn't take long for us to find someone to give a little push.