Some years ago, it was my privilege to work for Social Services, in the Learning Disabilities Directorate of my Local Authority.
One bright, sunny morning, I was invited to escort a service user to his place of work.
I entered a happy and colourful, sunlit room with huge widows and works of art filling every square inch of available wall space.
The pieces ranged from naïve, simple line drawings, to superb portraits of fellow workers, to landscapes and colourful fabric patterns of a professional quality.
I was at once amazed and emotionally ‘choked’ by the array of expressions of this beautiful world, expressed through the eyes and hearts of those souls that society hardly gives a second glance.
The ‘forgotten’ ones that were not included in the celebration of ability, but for those that instinctively cared for and encouraged them.
Amongst all this colour and creativity, I was met with a broad, genuine smile at every table. I was a total stranger, immediately included into every conversation and construction.
It was a morning that will forever be burned into my memory, along with every Christmas, Birthday and Anniversary; not because of the ‘specialness’ of the occasion, but the specialness of the people. A microcosm of those that accepted all that joined them, without prejudice or favour. A company of ‘equals’ in every sense.
The only thing that qualified one to be there, was that of another, living being.
I was asking a Support Worker the reason for the ambience and prevailing culture for the group. She gave me some real insights into living a life of service, outside of any religion or doctrine, simply for the passion of life and the encouragement of expression.
As I was leaving to the sound of a throng of voices, wishing me well, I noticed a verse, proudly hanging above the door. It was an exhortation for sanity and compassion that had been copied, cut and pasted into the back of every Support Workers official diary:
SEE ME BEAUTIFUL,
LOOK FOR THE BEST IN ME.
ITS WHAT I REALLY AM
AND ALL I WANT TO BE.
IT MAY TAKE TIME,
IT MAY BE HARD TO FIND;
BUT SEE ME BEAUTIFUL
-
SEE ME BEAUTIFUL,
EACH AND EVERY DAY.
COULD YOU TAKE A CHANCE?
COULD YOU FIND A WAY?
TO SEE ME SHINING THROUGH
IN EVERYTHING I DO
AND SEE ME BEAUTIFUL?
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings?
I wondered what would happen if the ‘normal’ world could embrace such a sentiment and cast aside that which makes us human; that we are different and at once, the same? That we could celebrate our sameness
and the fact of our individuality?
When I gaze into a breathtaking sunset and am in awe of Father’s palette and artistry, I am forever reminded of that morning when my paradigm of humanity was changed forever, by a human spirit that was determined to see this creation, through the eyes of a child.
Perhaps when we ‘normal’ ones engaged with each other, we could blunt the edge of our ego, listen with the heart and allow criticism to be a redundant attitude.
Everyone wants to look good and be right. It seems its not half as important as looking to God and being in Love.
Grape x
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Topic: SEE ME BEAUTIFUL (Read 4080 times)