Another e-mail:
I am the stepsister of a special needs man. I adore him and he has served the purpose in my life of making me more compassionate towards others and appreciating what I have. He is aware enough to know that he got the short end of the stick in this life. The only counsel I have for him is that God has a special place in His heart for him. I don’t know what else could be true of a compassionate and loving God.
I loved the long email you posted from the woman with a 12-year-old special needs daughter. What struck me about her email is that she pointed out something fundamental that I forget sometimes. Your correspondent mother noted that her daughter is interested in a lot of things that other 12 year olds are interested in, but she knows she is different and it hurts her, but the joys outweigh the sorrow. If that doesn’t describe the human condition, I don’t know what does. We all feel different and isolated at times, but our moments of joy with others is what makes life worth living. Emme isn’t all that different after all. There are those with handicaps that prevent them from loving others and feeling joy with others. They often aren’t considered “special needs,” but I think they need our prayers more than most.