Different is normal – Teach them young!
When I told my 3 year old a story of a mommy and child going out, she quickly asked ‘Does the mommy have two legs?’ I said ‘Yes’. She remarked, ‘My mommy has one leg when at home and two when we go out. For her that is normal. As a teenager there come a time when she thinks less of me because of my physical issue. But I hope that by then we normalize these physical differences enough for people not to make an issue of them. I have never met a child who has found me ‘different’. They are only curious to know what the difference is. Never to weigh it down. Let me also mention in the same breath that most adults I meet are quite unlike that. The first thing that people notice is that I walk with a limp. In a few seconds they’d have formed an impression about me in their minds. I can feel the vibes. And as our initial conversation progresses, I can also sense how the other person slowly begins to see the person behind the amputee. While I am quite used to this and do not find it unn...