Different Abilities

She was very excited because she was going to a job interview as an Office Assistant.  She was dressed modestly; black pants and shoes and a white long sleeved shirt.  You could tell she took great care in combing her long hair.  It looked simple, but very neatly in place.  She smiled as she slowly and deliberately spoke of many accomplishments and successes.  As a caregiver to a huge class of 3-4 year olds in Sunday school.  Her favorite hobby – dancing; alone and as a performing artist.  The medals she won in basketball and track in the Special Olympics.  Then she cried, openly, unabashedly.  I don’t know if it was the nerves from the anticipated interview or the fact that she was talking about her lifelong struggle living with a cognitive disability.  Yet, she smiled through the tears.  She talked about a training program she completed in seven weeks.  How at the graduation she had not been shy; she spoke in front of about 100 people and never shed a tear.  But at that meeting, they all knew her and her ‘disability’ and accepted her and helped her become more sure of herself.  They gave her hope of becoming independent.  But here she just felt exposed in front of people she didn’t know.  I hugged her.  I couldn’t help myself.  I told her I believed in her and would pray for her interview.  She hugged me back and gave me that bright smile again.

I prayed for the interview but don’t know if she got the job or not.  What I do know is that she has demonstrated that she is a smart, bright and resilient girl with different abilities and so much to give.  We all have such a narrow view of skills and capabilities sometimes that we might miss the beautiful ones with other abilities.  Just a few minutes with her and I was thankful for her life and the life of others like her.