Faithful
Friday: The Painful Art of Letting Go [of An Adult With Disabilities]
by:
Debbie Waltz
I know I promised
a review of Color My World with Love much sooner than this, but doctor's
appointments and surprises have changed my daily routines. While my morning
personal assistant has been away on vacation, I have spent a lot of the time
editing my book with my mom and getting it ready for a run-through by a
professional editor before finally sending it to an agent. It is a challenging
process considering most of my earlier content was written when I was in high
school, and I didn't have much experience with writing, etc. Those have been
updated and added to several times as a result.
The movie
"Color my world with love" centers around the tight-knit relationship
of mother and daughter, Kendall and Emma (played by Lily D Moore and Erica
Durance). Over the past year, Kendall has made several strides in developing
her talent as a painter and becoming more independent by learning to cook for
herself. But, little does her mother realize there is another reason she likes
those cooking classes- her friend Brad (David Desanctis), who also happens to
have down syndrome. The couple seems to have quite the connection and are
hoping to get Emma's approval to date. However, she has her concerns with the
whole idea, feeling that they are moving way too quickly in their relationship;
unable to say no to her daughter, she comes up with a compromise- chaperoning
on their dates. Things get even more complicated when Emma starts developing
feelings for Nic (Brad's uncle, played by Ben Ayres). With Nic's free-spirited
ways, Emma begins to relax a little and loosen the reins on her daughter. Emma
begins thinking long-term and what she wants for her life - besides being just
Kendall's mother; as a result, she begins to help out with Nic's project of
creating homes for the intellectually disabled. As Kendall and Brad explore
what this means for their relationship, the couple are encouraged to take
things slow and figure out what love means to them both.
Unfortunately,
Brad has other ideas.
On bended knee, Brad proposes with a real
diamond ring during Nic's parent's anniversary party. (Not the one Nic thought
Brad was trying to get for Kendall while playing in an arcade game.) So, while
trying to make sense of her relationship with Nic, she is faced with another
obstacle- How to slow things down while still keeping Kendall's dreams for love
and independence alive?
Kendall and her
mom are out shopping one day when they come across a bridal boutique and go in
and try on some wedding dresses. It is then that we begin to see societal
impressions of the disabled emerge- saying something like, "This dress is expensive
and going to take up to 6 months to customize to her 'special' size. However, despite
the salesperson's rudeness, Kendall is willing to forgive her, saying that Brad
would've hugged her anyway because she was probably treated the same way in
high school as they were.
Despite Kendall's
growth, Emma remains concerned about how they will maintain a marriage
together- knowing how stressed out Kendall can get over the littlest things.
Case in point: the couple has their first argument when discussing how soon
they should have the wedding. Brad hopes to have it within two months, while
Kendall is willing to wait it out. The couple begins arguing, and Kendall walks
off. Brad walks off as well, only to realize that he has Kendall's phone. But
when he returns to the bus stop, she has disappeared. Brad is devastated- not
only feeling guilty for arguing but leaving Kendall by herself at the bus stop.
Emma is devastated,
but the police eventually notify them that Kendall is down at the police
station. It reiterates her fears that they won't be able to handle things on
their own and urges everybody to take a break. Instead of agreeing, Nic encourages
Emma to trust them and have faith in their relationship.
I'm not going to
spoil the ending for you. I only suggest that you take the time to watch it
yourself if you have the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.
This movie had me
reflecting on my relationship with my parents growing up.. From the very
beginning, they struggled with how to struggled with how to raise a disabled
daughter.My parents believed I would be as independent as I could be; believing
in that; they enrolled me in a particular school designed for people with
cerebral palsy. Once they saw that I had developed the skills necessary and
they had learned all they could from the school themselves, I moved on to a
regular schooling program. As I excelled in the mainstream program, they
realized my intellect remained unaffected by the CP and began advocating that I
be allo. Joan wed in some regular classes.
Unfortunately, it wasn't smooth sailing after
that because I encountered problems getting personal assistance at school, even
when my mom had to serve as a personal assistant and notetaker while they were
hiring. For a time, that strained our relationship - knowing that we would
spend all day together and also see each other at night. It also put a damper
on my already complicated social life, knowing that my mother was usually
around in most social situations. Still, she was more than willing to do it to have the
support I needed at school.
Even at age 42, my
parents still struggle with when to let go. Because of financial constraints
and their health, I still live with them in a downstairs apartment designed
with me in mind. My parents will always see me as their little girl, but I
still want to be independent and thoughtful. As a result, I have almost always
hired personal assistance (since college) to help with my care. Mostly, these
have been professional nurses trained to assist with my care; some have been
students working their way through special education programs. I still request
that my parents be a part of the interview process to providing input as to
specific questions that need answers, but I am pretty independent otherwise.
Thanks to governmental assistance, I pay my rent on time via printed checks
through my bank. As many of you may have read, I even had my job once working
as a contractor for the State Department, making sure websites were section 508
compliant for federal workers with disabilities. Unfortunately, the department
downsized, and my job was cut
My dad still
questions my hair color choices, but that's another story..