Everyday, all of us meet people of different faces but how many of us will stop and take a closer look at those around us and ponder why these faces are shown before our very eyes. Today, I met someone special in his own ways. Somehow, when I looked at him, there was a sudden urge for me to observe him in greater detail. Well clad in red t-shirt and a pair of jeans, he looked as if he was an ordinary child. Then, I noticed the small yellow hand towel he held in his right hand. It appeared to me that he could not control his right hand. It kept shaking and vibrating uncontrollably. His short attention span caught my eyes as he perpetually looked restless. His eyes swept from corner to corner as if he was trapped in a different world. It did not take me a minute to realize that this child is autistic. His out-of-the-norm façade confirmed my suspicion.
Standing beside him were his parents. His father was not too concerned with the stares he received by the other commuters. He maintained his cool and stood proudly despite the fact that his son was rather making a nuisance by grabbing his leg. His mother would then pull him gently and treated him as if he could understand every word she said. By this time, his father finally decided to step in. He lowered himself to the boy’s height and lovingly comforted his son. The boy mumbled a few words and hugged him. His father’s reply was to pick him up and let him warp his arms around him and he rested his head on his father’s shoulder. He would then smile at his wife and she too complied.
It was then I realized how much parent loved their child. It must not have been easy to raise a child with autism especially when the society regarded this group of people as outcasts. They could just abort the child when he was an infant to avoid such embarrassment instead, they decided to choose otherwise. This just showed how much they treasure the gift of life even though it was not meant to be a normal child. Furthermore, the very act of affection both of them displayed underlined their desire to accept the way things are and make the best out of it by loving an imperfect person perfectly. Indeed, parents’ love is an unconditional one.
I carved a smile as I watched them from a distance. And it triggered me to express my innermost human feelings, sympathy. The feeling is hard to describe, it is a mixture of melancholy and of peace. How much I wished I could walk to them and said ‘hi’ to their son. It would then a make a difference in their lives. Having been exposed to such sights, it allowed me to appreciate what I have, a decent life, an ordinary life, a normal life that children like them would have wished for.
Inspired by “Because You Live” by Jesse McCartney.
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