The silent disability - part 2


One thing I have - sadly - learned over the years is that people can be the cruelest to others through their words or their actions.
I have taken a beating - literal and verbal - over the years and thought I must have just deserved it; but this was my daughter.
My precious daughter and my dear, darling, innocent grandson.
How dare this woman attack them.

I had to speak to my neighbour.
I had to clear the air.

I gathered my gentle giant Man Wonderful and walked the six metres from my front door to hers.
I could see through her house that she was sat in her back garden in the sunshine. 
Knocking on the door, dogs barking, a glance up to see who was calling and nothing.
This happened once, twice, then she came to the door, a smile on her face and, 
"Oh I'm so glad you called around."

I smiled, "Thank you."

She explained that of course it was anybody's business what they did during lockdown and 'up to us' what we did. 
She wasn't going to judge us because we were 'coming and going' every day.

I shouldn't have had to do the next thing, but I did.

I very calmly explained about P's disability. 
That since the start of lockdown we had continued our combined household of five people. That this was what P needed/what his sister needed/that this provided respite for his mum.

I also made a firm point that yes, it was nobody else's business what a household did to manage, but that if anyone from her household - or extended - wanted to challenge my daughter or grandchildren again, they would be having my assistance with understanding.  

This was all said in my Mary Poppins voice.












Comments

  1. Good for you quite right to stand up for injustice. Inside I am crying that you had to, you shouldn't have to explain.

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  2. Well done, you stood up for your family and it was very brave of you. It is really sad that it was necessary for you to do it though. Hopefully your neighbour will keep her thoughts to herself in future.

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  3. Well done on confronting that attitude. I hope your neighbour responded positively and that you have made her think about her comments and, most importantly, caused her to realise that she needs to change her behaviour.

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  4. Well done for having the courage to speak up and hopefully make this judgemental woman think about just how unkind her comments were.

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