Personal Stories define us. This is what we tell ourselves and tell other people about us. They are part of what we use to understand ourselves, understand the world, and come to terms with the choices that we make throughout our lives.
This is why I’m opening this section to the special village in its entirety. Do you have a story that you would like to share? Did you learn from any particular experience that you had with your child (brother, sister, grandchild, etc.)? Is there anything that you would like to share with the world so that you can enlighten all of us? We want to be here to share our experiences and support each other.
I would not be in this space if it weren’t for my youngest brother, Fernando. He is seven years younger than me, and five years younger than our middle brother, Hernan. I have so many stories to share about how tough it was to grow up in a time and place when caring for the disabled and including them in every aspect of life and decision making was not mainstream. I grew up understanding how judged my parents felt. I grew up feeling the isolation that stemmed from this experience.
The good news is that none of this stopped us. Families can be very resilient and can thrive in the shadow of extreme pain. It is because I want to showcase that resilience and foster an environment of understanding that I would like to feature YOUR story. Share your thoughts (or your story) with me at ourspecialvillage@gmail.com.
Hope to hear from you!
Dr. Klimek
