When somebody asks me about Rayyan, for instance, which school he goes to or about his development, I am at a dilemma if I should inform them of Rayyan's condition. I am sure that other mothers who are in similar position will constantly face this dilemma too.
People who are close to me of course know about him, my close colleagues too. And they have all been very supportive and are very sensitive to my feelings. They ask about Rayyan constantly and give me a pat on the back to spur me on or just to tell me that they're there for me if I need someone to talk to. And I am very thankful for having such wonderful friends.
But oh wait, let me just take back some of my words... not ALL, but ALMOST ALL. In fact, so far, I have only come across one person who I feel is really insensitive.. She constantly compares my kid to hers, they are of the same age... keeps asking me about what Rayyan is capable of doing and constantly bragging about her son's development. And all this time, she knows about Rayyan's condition. Even when other concerned friends ask me about Rayyan, she will butt in and talk about how clever her children are instead!! Gosh! Just how insensitive can one get!! I am actually a very tolerant person but it has come to a point where I will really try my best to avoid her because I am just afraid that I will blow my top one day!
And I know that she will not be the first one... Rayyan is still a kid now and even though he babbles a lot and is super active, people don't give him a second look. It is still ok to act that way at his age. But as he grows older, I'm sure people will not only give him a second look but will give us a second look and even stare at him if he continues to behave this way...
So how will we act then? I am not ashamed of my son, I actually don't mind telling people about him. His presence in my life has made my life more meaningful and I love him more than anything else. Which is why I will protect him in any way I can. So I must really gear up for this. I must be strong. They don't understand Rayyan, they don't know what he's going through. They are just shallow-minded people and I refuse to let these kind of people bring me down!!
