Introduction

I have wanted to share my brother's story for a long time. He is a trailblazer, or perhaps more accurately, my parents were trailblazers in the movement to keep special needs kids at home with their families after birth. John was born in 1960, a time when almost no middle class parents kept kids like him at home. Somehow, my mother knew that his potential could only be maximized by his living at home with his parents and three sisters. And so he did. I know it was really hard for many people, but it was never hard for me.
He was born about a month early and I've been told it was a very difficult birth for my mother. There were no sonograms in 1960, so no one knew in advance that he had a very large head, even for an achondroplasiac dwarf. Despite the best efforts of the doctors, his brain was damaged during birth, leaving him mentally retarded. Friends and family members recommended that John be institutionalized for the 'good' of my sisters and me, but my mother was resolute and home he stayed.
I cannot imagine what my life would have been like had John not been in it. I created this blog to share with others the joy and pain I have experienced as the sibling of a special needs person and to let others know of the tremendous success my hero has achieved.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Warming Up

John flew to Detroit from Providence on Tuesday to share the holiday with us. He has an extensive DVD collection that includes many 1960s TV shows and he made certain he brought with him some of my old favorites -- he and I happily spent Tuesday night watching episodes from season 3 of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. He recalled how my dear friend Colleen and I watched it together every Saturday night in high school, after I'd made her cheeseburger of course. Watching the shows with him was a total trip back in time -- he recalls every little detail from the life of every person he loves -- and there are many.

He really loves to fart while we watch together too -- apologizing before the reason for the apology becomes obvious -- and he giggles like an innocent child when I suggest we need to clear the air with the aid of a match. "Don't set my pants on fire," he'll beg in an explosion of joyous laughter. It's one of our favorite "routines" and something I look forward to each time he visits.

Wednesday, he and my husband, Tag went shopping together for the ingredients for lasagna. Onions, cheese and peppers in large amounts -- perfect for a guy who loves to fart. I believe we may have a carbon off-set problem after Wednesday night, never mind the noxious output on big day itself...
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousDecember 8, 2009 at 8:21 AM

    Okay! Okay! Uncle! Yer killin' me! That was just tooooo funny! Can't wait for more. I guess I'm glad that someone out there in cyberland hasn't yet invented a 'smell-a-blog!"

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