Sometimes we get so caught up in the fact that Madeleine is an amputee. I'm talking about myself here. I think about my child with a disability all the time. Madeleine's leg came off in the supermarket yesterday. That wouldn't have been a big deal except that a woman was walking by at the same time telling Max how cute he is.
"Oh," she said.
I laughed.
"She has an artificial leg." I said, as if it wasn't obvious!
"It comes off sometimes if the cart hits it just right."
The lady laughed a bit and said, "Well, she looks happy."
Why wouldn't she be happy? She isn't in pain, I thought.
And then I have people telling me how well she is doing walking. Yes, she is. They tell me she is amazing. Yep, she is.
Amputee will always define Madeleine. Just like her other labels of "twin" and "female". It doesn't have to be all she is though.
If you don't know who Sarah Reinertsen is you should. She gives "amputee" a whole new name.
4 comments:
"Amputee will always define Madeleine." I respectful disagree. It will not always define her. She will have lots of control and influence over the way she is viewed by her friends, family, and the general public. She will surprise you=)
All the best,
Scott
www.scottrigsby.com
I too need to disagree. This is what I say, "logan has had his leg amputated, he's not an amputee"
I do know however where you are coming from:)
Goodness, I'm humbled. Alas, Scott and Jenna, you are both correct. She is so much more. Why do I do this to myself?! I need to remember to not give her limitations and to have high expectations for her achievements. Thank you for reminding me!
I agree with rigsby and jenna....
i don't feel like my caitlyn is defined by her "lilly" leg (that's her special name for it)
She really goes about her daily life without it being a "big deal". We have never made it anything more than it needs to be. She is special, but more because of her surviving being a super-preemie and because she is our baby girl, but not because she has lilly.
My husband and i find that caitlyn can do SOOOO much even with her leg and the tight calf muscle. She does TaeKwonDo, she played soccer in the spring...it's amazing what our resilient kids can do!! :D
it's a huge blessing to witness my baby girl accomplish things that people have thought she might not!
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