Whenever I fall, I tell people that I'm "Free Fallin'".  Remember that
song from Tom Petty.

On Mon, 13 Mar 2000, Trisha Cummings wrote:

> Hi Mariana,
>
>     Your CP is neither good nor bad - it simple is. Things only have the
> value we place on them. He has made a positive out what others see as a
> negative when in truth no value judgement needs to made at all. I don't see
> Amber CP or Betty's PN - as anything other than a facet of them. It carries
> no good or bad - it simply is. I have made an effort to never place a value
> judgement -if I possibly can - I have watched how children pick their cues
> of how to act from us. If we see something as bad - they do - if we see
> something as good - they do. Case in point - falling down. Purely an
> accidental thing too. Amber fell down as a toddler - and it looked funny - I
> laughed and she turned around and saw I was laughing and laughed to and got
> up and toddled over to me. She took her cue of how to act from my reaction -
> had I been horrified - she would have started crying. I saw this happen
> later and the woman woefullly over-reacted - and her kid who had merely sat
> down to hard -looked at her and then began screaming and was inconsolable.
> To this day when Amber falls (and me too) - we laugh - and she did just take
> a header on the church stairs - not last Friday but the Friday before - and
> she turned around and we laughed. We do fix boo-boos if they happened. But
> we put stuff in prespective and remove the judgements - they are what hurts
> others. We all live for the positive - the love, the approval, the praise -
> the things that say we are worthwhile. I am sorry your mother chose to take
> the negarive path - you are wonderful and talented - and that is what is
> important about you.
>
>                                     Brightest Blessings and Hugs
>                                                     Trisha
>
> >                I cried when I saw David Roche performed in public.  If his
> >disability is a gift, then I need to rethink mu attirude about having CP.
> I >need to stop buying into my mother's appraisal "CP is a curse" abd
> >society's apprasal "What is wrong with you?"  I tend to see it as one of
> >the many cards in the hand I was dealt.  What matters most is how I >play
> my hand.  David Roche
> >got dealt some deuces but he has played that hand to the utmost!
> >Vaya con ka diosa,
> >Mariana
> >
> >At 10:19 AM 3/11/00 -0500, you wrote:
> >>I am un_ ashamedly stealing this from the  OUR KIDS site - PS I ask!!
> This
> >>is super - made me cry. Perhaps someday someone can do this for those of
> us
> >>are freaks to society by virtue of happenstance - incest - rape, extreme
> >>abuse - souls can be just as disabled and deformed as bodies can, and just
> >>as in need love and understanding. May the God of the Once Born - forgive
> >>them for their ignorance and judgemental arrogance treating us like filth
> >>and second hand trash. Goddess Bless to my Systers who make the CovenStead
> a
> >>safe and loving place - If we only do this for the world.
> >>
> >>                                Brightest Blessings
> >>                                      Trisha
> >>
> >>
> >>>http://www.davidroche.com/index.htm
> >>>
> >>>This man, David Roche,  was born with an extensive benign tumor on his
> >>face,
> >>>and the treatments he was given in infancy and childhood seem to have
> made
> >>>things even worse.  He has no lower lip, the lower portion of his face
> >>>stopped growing because of radiation treatments, and he is covered with
> >>>plum-purple burn scars.  He is 55 now, and speaks publically about how
> >>people
> >>>with facial deformities (any obvious disability) have to deal with it on
> >>the
> >>>outside, which may give them an advantage over those whose flaws are less
> >>>openly obvious.  He uses his gifts (including, he believes, the gift of
> his
> >>>disability) to inspire public speaking and humor on the topics which we
> all
> >>>know very well.
> >>>
> >>>His worldview will not be to everyone's taste, especially not to the
> taste
> >>of
> >>>those who are in especially bitter phases (we all go through them, and
> few
> >>of
> >>>us set them entirely aside)--but in his words, "My face thus becomes a
> >>gift,
> >>>not only for myself, but for others, as their hearts open to courage,
> >>>inspiration and laughter.  I am proud to be part of the emerging culture
> of
> >>>disability.  I believe in the healing power of humor and storytelling."
> I
> >>>enjoyed his site, and the article about him on Salon.com's website, url
> >>>http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/lamo/1999/05/27/sincerity
> >>>
> >>>Just thought some of you would like to see this; I hope my son is as
> >>>accepting of himself as he is, when he is grown, as this man is.
> >>
>