When I first met
Jonas & Allie
I felt as if I had been immediately launched
with brute force into a foreign country.
I didn't know sign
language,
and if Allie had not been hearing,
and had not been there,
I would have felt completely inept
at finding an effective manner to express myself.
But that feeling
was short lived,
with Jonas I could always be myself,
however grumpy, happy,
optimistic, or despondant
I may have been at that moment.
He read me well.
I discovered over
time that he had a sense
of humor similar to that of my father,
so in that sense, we understood each other.
The first day we
met,
my son Josh was 1 year old.
Just taking his first bold steps
into the unknown world
called the back yard.
He ran through the
back yard
Jonas looked out at him
as he played and smiled.
Josh was taking keen
interest
in something on the ground outside
and he picked it up excitedly
and ran into the house.
His tiny feet pattering
his diaper slightly loose
he eagerly ran up to Jonas
and handed him his discovery.
I looked on in horror
as I realized
this fascinating find of Joshies
was actually the previous contents
of his diaper.
I was crimson,
Josh laughed as if this were the most
hilarious thing he had ever experienced;
and I knew then I was bound to lifelong
friendship with both Jonas and Allie.
William E. Rothschild
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Copyright
© 2004 Maryanne & Mark F. Chisholm. All rights reserved.