This Week I have continued reading the book Wish by Melina Gerosa Bellows. This book which follows Bella and her twin brother Bobby shows how aging affects both of them in all aspects of their lives. At this point in the book, Bella got engaged to a man who not only cares deeply for her but also cares for her brother. Her hopes are to one day be his full-time caretaker when her parents are too old to take care of him. Bella is then heartbroken when her fiance cheats on her and not only breaks her heart but also hurts Bobby due to how fond Bobby was of him. Years later it is revealed even though Bella and Joe called it off, Joe still visited Bobby and would take him places to do things he loved the most. Joe later died in an accident where at his funeral Bella and Bobby are reunited with an old friend who used to take Bobby for rides on his motorcycle, which was one of his favorite things to do. For old times sake, he takes Bobby on a motorcycle ride back to Bella's and Bobby's apartment. When they make it back to the apartment complex Bobby suffers from a stroke and is rushed to the hospital. After his stroke, Bella feels responsible because she let him go on the motorcycle. While in the waiting room Bella reflects back on her life.
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| Source: www.onecallmedicalalert.com |
Quote:
"In some ways Bobby has always been like a Buddha, truthful, honest, living in the moment, without a shred of self-consciousness or malice. In a word, he was always himself. Instead of fixing him or changing him, or making him better, I might have simply accepted him, or at least accepted myself for my lifelong struggle to do just that"(278 Bellows)
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| Source: www.autism-society.org |
While Bella was growing up she always tried to hide her brother as if he was an embarrassment to her. Later in life, she now idolizes her brother and everything he goes through. She sees that he has great qualities and that he is always true to himself something Bella has never been. By saying this she is admitting she no longer envies the attention he got that she so craved when they were younger, rather that she envies the fact that he has always been himself and no one else. This quote in its context also shows how tragedy can bring forward truthfulness in people and in Bella's case it shows how much she truly loves her brother to spite his disorder.
In particular, this quote stood out to me because it shows the progression of maturity in Bella with respects to how she views her brother. One thing I have noticed growing up with my best friend and her younger brother is also her shift in attitude towards him. As I mentioned in my previous quote blog, when we were younger she felt as if she couldn't manage to get her parents attention causing her to envy her brother who seemed to have most of the attention. As time passed the feelings of envy changed to feelings of pride and protectiveness for her brother. Much like it took Bella years to see the positive sides of having a sibling with autism, is also took my friend a while. The second connection I have to this quote is an experience I had a few summers ago at the summer camp I worked at. In my group, I had a child with autism. Being responsible for a child with autism was at times very nerve-racking, for I had to be extra attentive to the child and their needs. Although at first, it was difficult for me, by the end of the summer I realized just how lucky I was to have them in my group.
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| Source: www.las.uk.net |
I think that's true in a job like mine, also. I have had various students on the autism spectrum, and it's always a unique experience. There is one student I feel like I connected particularly well with who is still in our building now, and it's a refreshing interaction every time I see this person. :)
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