Every living being on this earth craves or need acceptance as it gives us a sense of belonging. We often tend to ask for acceptance from others, forgetting that it only starts from self.
Being a mother of a beautiful daughter with down syndrome, acceptance of her condition came to me gradually because it is not an overnight process, it takes time. It is that one thing I practiced regularly.
Adapting to life with a disability is never easy, but there are ways to help yourself cope with limitations, overcome challenges, and build a rewarding life. Public acceptance of disability gets along with acceptance of disability at work often comes by developing a friendship, social inclusion, breaking down stereotypes, developing a sense of belonging and hence creating relationships that can reduce stigma and prejudice. But before we go on for public acceptance, self-acceptance is necessary.
I have seen many parents with kids with disabilities, talking and cribbing about how unfortunate their lives are, that they are not able to take their kids outdoors or in public just because they are either unaware, ashamed or do not want society to know about their kid’s condition, thinking that this act will save them from the harassment. I know there is an stigma attached to disability but this act is not going to help the parents anyway, in fact, it will make the situation worse. You are giving people the chance to question you, hurt you every time, as they know you fear that you will lose “ACCEPTANCE” in their eyes.
Also, don’t forget that if a parent is not able to accept their child, why to expect rest of the world to accept him or even include him?
Face it, accept it and see your child for who they are with their disability and differences.
To change the perception of people towards the disability, self-acceptance is crucial which starts from home, practice it and see your world blooming.
That doesn’t mean you have to ignore or suppress your feelings. It’s only humane to avoid pain, but just like you won’t get over the pain by ignoring it, you can’t work through grief without allowing yourself to feel it and actively deal with it.
Allow yourself to fully experience your feelings without judgement.
I am not saying it is going to be easy, it will be hard. Because self-acceptance is that one thing which will lead us to manage our lifestyle and hence take control of our lives. It will not only bring immense joy but will help us to drop every expectation we have.
Trust me, dropping expectations, acknowledging your pain & accepting the situation will improve the quality of your and your child’s life.
- Post by Priyanshu Sharma.
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