There were several caregivers in the audience when I made my presentation of "Journey With Jeff; Inspiration for Caregivers of People with Special Needs,"at the GO ARTS! evening program. Some had heard the broadcast on WBTA the previous Thursday with Joe Langen and me inviting everyone to come.~~~Some of the caregivers were both mothers and special education teachers. I was moved by their tears of empathy as I told the story of going from "Why us, Lord?!" when we discovered Jeff had Down syndrome, to "Where do we go from here?" then examples of all the people God sent to help during the years Jeff was growing up.~~~There were great comments and questions, such as, "How did your husband respond to Jeff's special needs?" (He believed his job was to be breadwinner, and that my mother's wisdom would get us through -- that was the way families operated in the 60's and 70's -- although he was very supportive in helping whenever I asked.) "How did your daughter, Jennifer handle the teasing, and the extra time spent with Jeff's special needs?" (She told them, "He's my brother!" because that's just the way it was, and she became very independent.) We talked about GUILT, and I read an excerpt titled, "Movin' On," a letter I'd written to other parents who were considering a Residence for their son. This covered guilt pretty well. Joe Langen suggested that I ask Jennifer how I could spend more time with her NOW. YES! That's a great idea, Joe!~~~By evening's end, a number of listeners had bought copies of "Journey With Jeff," plus the CDs of Jeff's story. One man told me he bought the CD so he could hear it again. "I have learning disabilities," he said, "but if I can hear things again I can absorb it, and once I have it, I don't lose it." I'm so glad Jeff and I could touch his life, plus some other lives. It was a wonderful evening with wonderful caregivers!!
