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.
>>