I'm on several different on-line communities devoted to FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)and Celiac Disease. The moderator of one on-line community posted this a couple weeks ago. It's from Erma Bombeck, a wonderful, classic writer who really understood motherhood and kept on smiling.

I hope you enjoy it...it brought happy tears to my eyes. I think it also applies to the dads, grands, teachers, therapists and friends of all special needs kids. This appeared exactly 11 years to the day before Steve & I got our referral for Gabby & Duncan. I probably read it & dismissed it at the time. It means alot to me now.



God Chooses Mom for Disabled Child
written by Erma Bombeck
Published in the Today Newspaper
Sept. 4th, 1993

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social
pressures, and a couple by habit.

This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children.

Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?

Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for
propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his
angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth; son; patron saint, Matthew."

"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter; patron saint, Cecelia."

"Rudledge, Carrie; twins; patron saint.... give her Gerard. He's used to
profanity."

Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped
child."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy." "Exactly," smiles
God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does not know laughter? That
would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of
self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle
it."

"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independance. She'll have
to teach the child to live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles.

"No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough
selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll
never survive. Yes, there is a woman I will bless with a child less than
perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never
take for granted a `spoken word.' She will never consider a `step' ordinary.
When her child says `Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle
and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will
see it as few people ever see my creations."

"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see---ignorance, cruelty,
prejudice--- and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will
be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my
work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in midair.

God smiles.

"A mirror will suffice."