I just got back from a weeklong trip to New England. It was good to get away for a while, and nice
to spend time traveling with my mom. We
went on a bus tour around all five New England states. We had traveled with this tour company last
year as well, and both times my dad joked that I would probably be the youngest
person on the tour. (I wasn’t the
youngest either time, by the way.)
Half the fun of a bus tour is getting to know those with
whom you are traveling. This year, we
met an older couple and their adult son who seemed to have an intellectual
disability. I’ll call him “Ryan”
here. In my years working in special
education, I have enjoyed working with such individuals because they find so
much joy in the simple things of life.
Ryan soaked up all the experiences on the tour. To him, everything was “awesome!” From visiting Faneuil Hall in Boston, to
driving past the grand estates of the Breakers in Rhode Island, to cruising the
harbor and eating lobster in Maine, he loved every minute.
People like Ryan who are able to find joy in pretty much
anything inspire me. Their zest for life
is contagious. It makes me realize how
much in my life I should thank God for.
I have written before about the importance of being child-like. People like Ryan never really lose their
child-like wonder and fascination with the world. Rather than regarding this as an aspect of
their disability, one might consider it their super power.
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