I don't buy that many books any more. Our bookshelves are full to bursting and we've even boxed up a lot of the "baby" books and put them in the attic or given them away. My kids are getting older and moving beyond the picture books they loved to read over & over & over again.
Most chapter books are read once and then they move on, so I say "Save our pennies and make use of the library!"
I can't remember how I first heard a review of this book last fall but I KNEW INSTANTLY it was a book our family needed to own. I read it right though - ignoring the laundry, the to do list and the clock that told me I should be getting some sleep. I teared up, I cried, I laughed and I eventually sobbed.
At our house, we rarely talk about how Rick looks.
Mostly because we never think about it.
We don't even notice it.
To me he is my best friend, loving companion, the father of my children, the guy who makes me laugh, and is sometimes annoying. He's the guy who "gets me". I would rather spend time with him than anyone. He's brilliant. I adore him and when I look at his face I see handsome. I see him.
To the kids he is "Dad." He is hilarious. He's the one to go to when Mom says no. He's the fun one. He's the guy who sneaks you candy. He's the tease. He's homework help and bike riding lessons. He's who you ask about sports. He's snuggles at bedtime and coaching on the soccer / lacrosse / baseball field. And so, so much more.
And all of that takes up so much room in our hearts and in our lives that we forget that he doesn't look "normal".
But Rick doesn't forget.
It's part of the reason we don't talk about it (and I hope he isn't mad at me for this blog post.) For so much of his life he was defined by how he looks. I know he had a lot of negative experiences as a child and especially as a teenager. Yet, the irony is that I think those challenges strengthened him and made him who he is. It brought out his inner awesome.
When we are out together I often notice people sneaking sideways glances or doing a double take. He lives with that 24/7. Kids and rude adults often ask him point blank "What happened to your face." He's always nice to the kids.
He just ignores the adults.
Though his "congenital birth defect" is much less severe than in the book, reading "Wonder" gave me some insight as to what it might have been like for Rick as a kid and in school. I hope it gives that to our children too but most importantly I hope it fills their hearts with an understanding of the importance of kindness.
It's less than $9 on Amazon here.
Trust me, your kids need to read this book. It's worth every penny.
At our house, we rarely talk about how Rick looks.
Mostly because we never think about it.
We don't even notice it.
To me he is my best friend, loving companion, the father of my children, the guy who makes me laugh, and is sometimes annoying. He's the guy who "gets me". I would rather spend time with him than anyone. He's brilliant. I adore him and when I look at his face I see handsome. I see him.
To the kids he is "Dad." He is hilarious. He's the one to go to when Mom says no. He's the fun one. He's the guy who sneaks you candy. He's the tease. He's homework help and bike riding lessons. He's who you ask about sports. He's snuggles at bedtime and coaching on the soccer / lacrosse / baseball field. And so, so much more.
And all of that takes up so much room in our hearts and in our lives that we forget that he doesn't look "normal".
But Rick doesn't forget.
It's part of the reason we don't talk about it (and I hope he isn't mad at me for this blog post.) For so much of his life he was defined by how he looks. I know he had a lot of negative experiences as a child and especially as a teenager. Yet, the irony is that I think those challenges strengthened him and made him who he is. It brought out his inner awesome.
When we are out together I often notice people sneaking sideways glances or doing a double take. He lives with that 24/7. Kids and rude adults often ask him point blank "What happened to your face." He's always nice to the kids.
He just ignores the adults.
Though his "congenital birth defect" is much less severe than in the book, reading "Wonder" gave me some insight as to what it might have been like for Rick as a kid and in school. I hope it gives that to our children too but most importantly I hope it fills their hearts with an understanding of the importance of kindness.
It's less than $9 on Amazon here.
Trust me, your kids need to read this book. It's worth every penny.
