Like today, the sun’s heat reflected on all the people that stretched out on the lounge chairs, stood in long lines at the water park, and popped in and out of the water like dolphins in the ocean. My sister, Landy, and I picked the perfect day to take our children and niece to the water park.
One of the children’s favorite activities is the Lazy River, which is water current that pushes you in one direction without any effort on anyone’s part. I listened to the interruption of laughter as the children dived and splashed under water. My daughter, who I feel is more comfortable in water than walking, scurried along without any fear. I, on the other hand, tried not to have fear; let’s just say I felt better being close to her. She acted as if I were a net holding her back!
I saw a young man grab Landy's arm as I watched her grab my daughter for me. They continued to move, of course, but Landy seemed to slow down some in the water. I caught up with her, my nieces, my daughter, and this man holding on to her arm. I yelled, “I’m coming, hold on!” As I approached, my sister said, “This is my sister, Vickie.” And Jannah, my daughter said, “And I’m her kid.” He said, “Hello. I’m Trevor.”
Trevor reached out to hug me in the water, but in his effort, he missed my body totally and slightly pulled away from Landy’s arm, which he scurried to get back. I looked at my sister with a “what’s-up-with-this” look, and she had this big Kool-Aid smile on her face. I thought he had a crush on her. I then noticed he had a white-folded stick in the water, one that is used by blind people as a guidance tool when they walk. Well, it explained why he totally missed hugging me. The water current had moved me so quickly from the spot where he first heard my voice. I touched his arm and shoulder in my attempt to hug him in moving water. I said, “I think it’s cool that you are in here by yourself hanging out.” He said, “Your sister is taking me to the waterfall. I keep missing it because I can’t see where to go. I said, “OK then. Let’s go.”
As we moved along in the warm water heated by the sun, I thought this young man could not have chosen a better person to get him to his destination. Landy is such a nurturing, caring, and beautiful Being. She guided him in and out of the waterfall area and back to the main part of the Lazy River.
Trevor glowed with gratitude! Not only is he a brave young man, he is a strong force of love waiting to share with whomever allows it. It is evident that he is "blinded" by love. I don’t see his blindness as a handicap; he reminded me on another level to look pass size, shape, race, weight, attitude, smells, and uniqueness in every way. This young man made sure he touched or hugged everyone who had any affiliation with Landy. Trevor, nineteen-years-old, left me and my family speechless. We just smiled at each other.
I saw a bright-red patch across Trevor's back, where the sun had made its mark on his pale skin. I wondered if the patch would burn him later that day. He held onto the metal banister, once he released Landy's arm to leave the water, and I moved along in the water, watching him until he disappeared into the bright sun.
Trevor had such a warm and beautiful presence; his gentleness was such a sweet force. I could feel the love radiating from him. You know, there is always so much talk about handicaps, race relations, and social inequalities in our society. For a moment on this day, I could only think about how my family and I had been marked, blinded by love.
No comments:
Post a Comment