Tag Archives: Special Need

From the Heart, Ideas

An Exceptional Super Bowl Ad

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Kudos to Microsoft for giving viewers one of the best Super Bowl commercials of 2019. You can also check out the video in the sidebar.

Two key thoughts:

  1. Physical differences should not deny anyone the opportunity to connect, grow, learn, and play, because when we connect, grow, learn, and play, “we all win.”
  2. No parent (caregiver) wants their child (no matter what age or level on the exceptional-needs spectrum) to feel like an outsider in this gift ( none of us earned it) of a world given to us all by God.

This reminds of the scripture, ‘On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, ‘ 1 Corinthians 12:22-23, New American Standard Bible (NASB)
https://my.bible.com/bible/100/1CO.12.22-23

Now back to the advertisement. I have to say what a way to endorse a product? If anyone has used it, please let me know. I’d like to share more than the commercial. For now, Microsoft wins in my book.

Artwork Credit

Authors, From the Heart, The Network

My Big Why

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Behind all this blogging and writing stuff there has to be a reason, right? Sure there is, and today, while I was doing my morning devotion and getting my daily dose of wisdom from the 31st Proverb, I happened upon it in verses 8 and 9.

Oh, this is not the first time I have seen these verses or claimed them as my “Big Why.” Admittedly, I knew why I was blogging and doing advocacy work long before this day ever arrived. I’ve known for at least a year now; I’ve written it out in my notes for the book and on important papers, but I never thought to share it here…until today.

So if you are wondering, why this nerdy, wordy girl writes this blog, and you haven’t taken the time to read the About page, then here is the skinny –

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;

ensure justice for those being crushed.

Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,

and see that they get justice.”

That’s Reallyleah.com in a nutshell. My advocacy work and book in progress, For Those Like Us Who Care centers on these words of wisdom which are a mandate for all humanity.

I hope you will join my crusade, if not, be bold and share how you are living out these verses in your own life; maybe we can work together.

Ideas

Rainy day valet?

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Rainy days can be the best days. Those wet afternoons when you don’t have anywhere to be, and you comfortably ball up on the couch and finish that novel you’ve been toting around for the last three months or binge watch that show everyone has been talking about. On those occasions, nothing beats a rainy day.

But when you do want to go somewhere as important as Church, a community event, or as simple as the grocery store; the rain can be a real drag, a darn right deterrent.  Well multiply that emotion times ten, and we might come close to knowing how a caregiver of a person with mobility challenges feels.

It takes a lot of planning to go somewhere when it rains. First, the caregiver has to prepare how to get their special person into the car, especially if she doesn’t have covered parking. In that case, she must plan how to do so without everyone getting soaking wet.

Such was the case for my family when we went to church this past Sunday. It was drizzling only a little when we left home, but by the time we were nearing the sanctuary, the sky had really opened up wide, and it was raining horses and cows. As discussed prior to our drive to church, I would let everyone out under the portico, park the car, and meet them inside the church. When church service was over, the rain was still coming down heavily, so my mother took a turn walking quite a distance to her parked car while I stood to wait with my wheelchair bound sister.

Well, how much more pleasant this scenario could have been had their been parkers for handicapped church attendees? Imagine, young, vibrant sneaker wearing, umbrella-toting, valet drivers who give you a ticket once you pull under the portico, then help you out of the car, takeout the wheelchair and assist your special needs person getting in the chair and inside the church without being drenched. Imagine how many more people might attend the service that day.

If you attend a large church as I do or if you are sponsoring an event of any kind and it happens to start pouring, perhaps you will consider offering valet parking for your handicapped guests. It’s a thought, and since all actions begin with one, I hope and pray this one thought will reach the powers that be.