Sorry about the long silence....
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 04 June 2009 20:23:16
Bloggable things have happened; I just haven't told you about them!
Last weekend we had a few days at centreparcs which was lovely. Lots of hanging about in the swimming pool, which led to lots of conversations about Ginger with interested children. I am really quite good at explaining cleft lip & palate, and ng feeding, to small children, if I say so myself.... this was the best conversation though:
I was being interrogated by a four-year-old boy about what was on Ginger's face (her tube) and why her lip and nose look different. A girl of about eight, evidently the boy's sister, came over, and (prompted I suspect by their mother) said "Is my brother being rude?"
Me: No, we're just talking about Ginger, and that's fine. He's been asking me why she looks different and I've been explaining.
Her: Well, if he's being rude, just tell him to go away.
(At this point we are joined by another sister, aged about six.)
Me: No, that's fine. It's okay to ask, Ginger does look different and it's silly to pretend she doesn't. It's much better to ask.
The boy continues to interrogate me as the girls look on.
8-year-old girl: You know, you're right. She does look different, because no-one else in this swimming pool has such a beautiful smile.
Can't argue with that.
