Today, I found out from one of volunteers that one elderly had been admitted to hospital. As my gut feelings told me, I immediately asked what happened and decided to visit her. Then came the son. I gave him some food and asked him about his mother. He told me that it was the third time his mother had been admitted to hospital. After he left, I told one volunteer about this and informed her that I would be visiting her later. That volunteer agreed and there we went after we finished most of the things.
At the hospital, I felt that this volunteer had been very prejudiced about the elderly's son. When the son wanted to know more about the mother's condition and whether she could be discharged, this volunteer told the nurse that he was incapable of taking care of her because he was a mentally ill patient. Even when the doctor came, she repeated the same statement. I felt sad for this kind of sterotyping. Why must someone keep telling others that this person is mentally ill? There is nothing wrong with mentally ill person. We all fall sick. When we fall sick, we take medication. So why labeled the son to this extent and kept repeating that he was incapable of taking care of the mother when she was just an outsider? Maybe her intentions were good but the approach is wrong.
When I saw how the son doted the mother by stroking her hair, I thought to myself,"When was the last time I actually took time to talk and listen to my mum?" The kind of love that is shown by this son to his mother is nothing less than any mentally healthy person. I just pray that such sterotyping to say that mentally ill person cannot take care of others be diminished. Let us be fair to them. They are not as bad as we think them to be.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Children with special needs
This year has been a great year for me and a way for me to learn more about children with special needs.
Coincidentally, the contact came from work. I got a contact from the Association for People With Special Needs (APSN). The students are very smart. They know what they are doing. There are many people out there with a misconception that these children are useless, a waste of society's resources. However, I look at them as a special gift from God.
Though there is always a group of students who come to the centre to volunteer, there is not much chance to really know them. In the previous batch, I was too engrossed with work that I did not notice any of the eight students that came. In this current batch, I notice each and every student every week.
There is a girl who always smiles readily. She is very helpful and will do things to her best. Another girl is very shy. One guy is always standing around, doing nothing and ordering people to do things. Then there is one guy who has down syndrome. From the first day he volunteers with us, I have already noticed him. He has a great pleasure in serving the elderly. When he is laying the tables, he makes sure that the forks and spoons are placed neatly. If he sees any of these out of place or slightly out of place, he will redo it himself. Last week, before he goes back to school, he even gives thanks to each of the volunteers and hugs some of us. In fact, he even planted a kiss on one of the elderly volunteers' cheek. Then the other two guys are very quiet. But they have told the teacher that they like serving the elderly. May God bless them greatly.
There is also another opportunity for me to get to know children with such special needs. Recently, we have employed such a child in our centre to be a cleaner. At first, I am worried whether the tasks he is assigned to will be too difficult for him. But he proves himself well. Though he does things slowly, he is able to do things according to schedule. What's more important is I really admire his ability to do things. Besides, this experience helps me to know this group of children more. I have to be patient with them. After giving them instructions, I have to ask them back what they need to do. No matter what others say about them, like they are rich man's kids with maids at home, I view them as a very special gift from God that can do things as good as any normal children.
Thank God for making such children to teach me meekness.
Coincidentally, the contact came from work. I got a contact from the Association for People With Special Needs (APSN). The students are very smart. They know what they are doing. There are many people out there with a misconception that these children are useless, a waste of society's resources. However, I look at them as a special gift from God.
Though there is always a group of students who come to the centre to volunteer, there is not much chance to really know them. In the previous batch, I was too engrossed with work that I did not notice any of the eight students that came. In this current batch, I notice each and every student every week.
There is a girl who always smiles readily. She is very helpful and will do things to her best. Another girl is very shy. One guy is always standing around, doing nothing and ordering people to do things. Then there is one guy who has down syndrome. From the first day he volunteers with us, I have already noticed him. He has a great pleasure in serving the elderly. When he is laying the tables, he makes sure that the forks and spoons are placed neatly. If he sees any of these out of place or slightly out of place, he will redo it himself. Last week, before he goes back to school, he even gives thanks to each of the volunteers and hugs some of us. In fact, he even planted a kiss on one of the elderly volunteers' cheek. Then the other two guys are very quiet. But they have told the teacher that they like serving the elderly. May God bless them greatly.
There is also another opportunity for me to get to know children with such special needs. Recently, we have employed such a child in our centre to be a cleaner. At first, I am worried whether the tasks he is assigned to will be too difficult for him. But he proves himself well. Though he does things slowly, he is able to do things according to schedule. What's more important is I really admire his ability to do things. Besides, this experience helps me to know this group of children more. I have to be patient with them. After giving them instructions, I have to ask them back what they need to do. No matter what others say about them, like they are rich man's kids with maids at home, I view them as a very special gift from God that can do things as good as any normal children.
Thank God for making such children to teach me meekness.
Feelings!
Today, I did not go to work. My headache was back and it really felt terrible. The pain was from my left eye and I can really feel the pressure this time. What's more terrible is that my body felt so warm. At that time, I wish I had a cold pad to put on my forehead. Thank God that the pain was gone after I tried many times to sleep.
Sigh! These days, I really feel very tired. Not because I am beginning to feel tired of working in this company but because I feel that so much needs to be done in such a short time. I wish to visit and get to know more elderly but the timing is always not right. My colleague who goes home visits with me always tend to be more cautious than me. She will warn me not to go to this elderly's home because he is not wearing a shirt or to let male elderly know that I am single. I find this funny but at the same time, I thank God for such a sister who looks out for me.
I pray that there will be a volunteer driver from next Thursday onwards for the other centre's program. It's been two weeks since there is no driver. I feel bad that some elderly have to miss the sessions because there is no transport. The time spent with the elderly there is not much and now ......
Lord, let each session be done with appreciation and joy. Let them enjoy themselves. Let everything be run smoothly, especially the last celebration. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Sigh! These days, I really feel very tired. Not because I am beginning to feel tired of working in this company but because I feel that so much needs to be done in such a short time. I wish to visit and get to know more elderly but the timing is always not right. My colleague who goes home visits with me always tend to be more cautious than me. She will warn me not to go to this elderly's home because he is not wearing a shirt or to let male elderly know that I am single. I find this funny but at the same time, I thank God for such a sister who looks out for me.
I pray that there will be a volunteer driver from next Thursday onwards for the other centre's program. It's been two weeks since there is no driver. I feel bad that some elderly have to miss the sessions because there is no transport. The time spent with the elderly there is not much and now ......
Lord, let each session be done with appreciation and joy. Let them enjoy themselves. Let everything be run smoothly, especially the last celebration. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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