How blessed are we to be healthy and 'normal?' How many times are thankful for these blessings? How many times are we thinking about those with special needs, about those who are labeled as 'normal?'

Let me tell you: not enough, or never at all.

Tonight I'm at this café/restaurant place right next to my apartment building. At the next table there are 3 girls, enjoying their drinks. But there is something wrong, very wrong with this picture: only 2 of them are talking and having fun. The 3rd one is just staring, obviously bored. But ... this is not what's wrong with the picture.. Her outfit and appearance is a clear sign she doesn't really belong here ... that she is not 'fully normal.' She suffers from the Down syndrome. This syndrome makes everyone suffering from it look nearly the same.

At first, not seeing her face, I was wondering what is she doing here, as she clearly doesn't belong.. She must have come with one of the other 2 girls.

The 2 girls seem cheerful, talking about their .... whatever they speak about. The 3rd girl doesn't only look bored, but she also seems as if she wants to be part of the conversation. But she's being ignored by her companions.

Am I judging them? you bet I am. it is 11.30 pm, and 2 girls brought with them a person who they completely ignore. The 2 girls are drinking beer, but the Down girl is drinking Pepsi Light. Do I find this fair? not at all.

This whole scene made me realize I'm never truly thankful for what I have - be it material or not. and since I'm never truly grateful, there must be others that are the same as me.

I'm never thankful enough for my health. I'm never thankful enough for the roof over my head, for the clothes covering my body, for the food on my table, for the fact that when I go out with someone I'm not completely ignored and forgotten.

I feel bad for the girl has a disability Down syndrome because she's being ignored and left out of the conversation. Because this syndrome makes others label her as 'not normal' or 'ill.' And there is nothing i can do for her nor for others in her situation.

The only thing i can do is write my thoughts here, for you to read. And then, i can only hope that next time you see someone having less stuff than you do, you're going to be grateful for what you have. You could then point this out to those around you as well. Don't judge them as you don't know their stories. Further more, if everyone was equally healthy/ill or rich/poor, we wouldn't have these notions anymore, and perhaps another type of chaos would arise.

You may not be able to help those with less things than you, but maybe someone else can. This is still a form of showing love and compassion. It's still a form of helping, after all.

"thank you visitor for reading./Thank you god for everything you've given me - good and bad, because I grew into a better and stronger me" [or at least I hope so].

©Charly Cross 2013 - present. All rights reserved.