Holidays are idealised as times of celebration. They are embedded in cultural symbols, family patterns, and lived experience. Because all holidays are not good times, however, the lived experience of holidays is considerably more complex than its symbolisation. This ambivalence is dramatically deepened for recently disabled adults who view holidays as a specially strained time of remembrance. http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1782&context=jssw
mmm, looking so many medias such as online newspapers from worldwide, Universities papers by doing researching, exploring, reading or watching videos on how the lives of people/children with disabilities compared to other people who are poor, living in a violent country, or involved as domestic violence abuse etc…. There are so much anger, hatred, depressing news, breaking news, even torment times or happiest news over years. Nothing compare with each other people’s lives… It is pretty much the same as everyone else in the every days lives. – UP or DOWN……
What about disabled people lives through Christmas and New Year times? I often wondering did they have happy experience with their own family or friends or not. But to reflect to the poorer countries even Middle East where there are so many bitter and hates and the continuing of wars make impact on their lives. Recently in UK, there is benefit cut for many disabled people….. Many homeless people who are out of works, their own homes, even separate from their families, facing hard times during Christmas and New Year.. No where to stay, to eat even spend alone in the street, under the bridges or in the park. It is the same in New Zealand. I have see an increasing number of unemployment, crimes and domestic violent abuses around Waikato especially people with disabilities who unable to find jobs or to live on low benefit.
What about the people with disabilities in poverty countries?
What about the children with disabilities in Israel?
Does these boys receive joy of love or laughter?
mmmm, everyone celebrates differently through holidays (Christmas and New Year) seasons. Most people takes religion in Christ who born on Christmas Day and died for us on Easter Day. Other people don’t celebrate Christmas but in a different way like a holiday celebration to share with their families and friends. For example Jehovah Witness people don’t celebrate Christmas, Easter, even birthday…. Because they believe Christmas is false religion. Christmas is not a Muslim holiday but Muslim countries do not celebrant it.
The poorer countries – there are lot of poverty and discriminate over people/children with disabilities. There are no money or financial supports from other countries. Most of them in a family supporting by having a male breadwinner as financial supporter. Some families felt shame by having a person with disability in the family or don’t ask for help for health funding.
We must think of their support workers like me, staff who works in hospitals, rest homes, in schools, who looks after people/children with disabilities. They are wonderful workers and put their own times to work and support people/children with disabilities. Currently I work for many people/children with disabilities over many years and I made sure that they were happy and to have some there in homes during my breaks. Only one new Deaf couple who are expecting a baby and their families are not really supporting them but in a separate way. For example – a Deaf man who his mother will support him and his children only, not the Deaf daughter in law. I lost the count of people/children who have had illness or with disabilities passed away over many years ago. Their families were grateful for my support and kindness and of course they remains to keep in touch with me…
One day, I walked to the Central Library and someone asked me about the blanket and pillow were left on the garden bench in the Garden Place, Hamilton. I simply told this person that it was one of the homeless person who had been sleeping in the early hour of the morning and the stuff belongs to one of the Homeless Shelter place in Garden Place. This person was horrified to hear that and told me that any homeless people should be ban from Garden Place, Hamilton. I asked this person – are you Christian/a person who is in good faith to care about other people? The reply was simple – No. I walked away to the library.
Christmas is about Jesus, a time to share with family, to remember someone who you loves so far away, to share with stranger if a person who has no family or friends around and a time to rest from work……… It is not just for religion but something to celebration. Not just about wanting expensive presents – laptop, iPad, iPhones, toys etc…….. How about growing and giving foods away, making jams, chutneys, sauces, cakes???? How about making furniture, scrapbooks, pot plant holder, dress, a simple equipment for any disabled person who would like to do something themselves without helpers??????
Life in Eureka 