Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: GREEN (01/19/17)
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TITLE: A Minor Disability | Previous Challenge Entry
By Pamela Hill
01/26/17 -
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Later that day, the tea is in the pot, scones are on the plate, it’s nap time and Megan is sound asleep. All is ready and the doorbell rings right on cue as though reading my thoughts. Opening the door I see my past standing before me in the form of my college roommate. Karen and her new husband, James, are in town and will be staying with us through the weekend. It’s been ten years since I’ve seen her but it feels like yesterday. What fun it will be catching up!
After dinner, Karen and I continue our dialogue while finishing dishes as the men enjoy getting acquainted in the living room. I’m surprised when I enter the room to see James sitting on the floor with Megan. She has a book open and is naming all the animals. They laugh while making animal sounds together. When she turns the page he asks her how many piggies are in the pigpen? With her cute little finger pointing to each piglet she counts, “one, two, free, fower, five, SIX” she proudly exclaims and then begins making ‘oinking’ sounds. When he begins asking her about the color of the things on the pages I feel uncomfortable. She recognizes her numbers, letters, can say her ABC's, count to 20, write her name and knows all of the animals and their sounds. But when it comes to learning her colors they’ve not had much success. After a few pages with failed results, he suggests they color together and they stretch out on the floor with crayons and coloring books. When Megan begins humming Bill and I smile at each other. She always hums when she’s content.
“Karen, James sure is good with children,” I say with a wink in her direction. “Do you two have plans to start a family of your own?”
“That’s our dream,” she responds. “We both would like to have a large family one day.”
When I glance at the clock I realize it’s time for our little Miss to call it a day. “Ok Megan, pick up all your crayons, you can play with Uncle James again tomorrow. Right now it’s time for bed.”
After putting her to bed I find everyone has moved out to the back patio to enjoy the warm evening air. “I love this time of year,” I say, joining them.
James sits forward in his chair and says, “Bill, Joyce, I need to tell you something. I know you’ve noticed that as smart as she is, Megan hasn’t been able to learn her colors. I think I know why.” He pulled out a picture that Megan had colored. “See how her sky is purple and the grass is orange? I think Megan has Deuteranopia, or green color blindness.”
“What?” Bill and I say in unison. “But how can you say that, how would you know?” I ask him.
“Because I have it” he responds. “It wasn’t discovered until I was in second grade, and after two years of trying to deal with it in a school system that wasn’t equipped for my needs, my parents decided to homeschool me. It was what saved me.” He pulled out a tablet and showed a video that let us see what Megan sees. James answered our questions about what life is like for the color blind. His final statement was, “It would be easier not to be this way, but as far as disabilities go, it is a minor one.”
I’m feeling bad for Megan… I am, I want to express sadness. But when I’m honest all I can hear over and over in my head is “homeschooling is the answer,” as I tell myself, “Don’t smile. No one will understand.”
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I appreciate the analogy of wet wood versus seasoned wood to the Christian life.
Thank you for a great read.
Totally identify with the cherishing of time with your daughter. I felt the same and how soon they were gone. We also home schooled because we were 45 miles from the nearest school. I was afraid at first -- no one home schooled then. It was so worth it.
Blessings~