No, it does not bother me if the intentions are good, does not hurt. Or maybe I am just not letting it bother me for longer than a minute. Yesterday I heard it twice - something sounding like "oh, how beautiful she is, too bad she will be short, poor little darling" .
I know it can be very annoying, it can get to you especially after you hear it too often. The truth is - any form of sympathy is out of place here. I do not like sympathy in general, I believe that it is only appropriate at a funeral. Somebody passed away, somebody feels terrible loss, there is nothing that can be said or done, there is no life to save. In every other life situation sympathy could be very destructive but is very often expressed by people who have own set definition on happiness and misery, who think they know better and also do not feel empathy, compassion. Imagine a scenario - you see a happy mom with a smiling, pretty baby in her arms and a sales lady is sorry. Not very empathetic! Plus she is sorry about what? About some unknown, vague future of the child which most likely will be nontypical future? Not quite about the happy present time? Who knows the future after all. The only thing that exists is the present time, only real thing. I do not want to spoil it with unhappy scenarios of a sales lady who can tell the right from wrong without blinking an eye. Sadly, this is how some people express that they care. I rather have them not care about me, my baby, about anything else but themselves. They can stay in their own definition of happiness for as long as it gets. I have mine and I want to spread the word :-)
Nie, to mnie nie drazni, jesli intencje sa szczere, to nie boli. A moze po prostu nie pozwalam zeby mnie draznilo dluzej niz miute. Wczoraj uslyszalam to dwa razy, cos w stylu " och jaka ona piekna, szkoda tylko ze bedzie malutka, biedactwo". Wiem, ze to moze irytowac, szczegolnie gdy slyszy sie to zbyt czesto. Prawda jest taka, ze jakakolwiek forma wspolczucia jest tu nie na miejscu. Z zalozenia nie cierpie wspolczucia i uwazam ze pasuje jedynie na pogrzebach. Ktos odchodzi, ktos przezywa ogromna strate, nic nie mozna powiedziec i zrobic, zycia nie mozna juz ocalic. W kazdej innej zyciowej sytuacji wspolczucie jest uczuciem destruktywnym i czesto okazuja je ludzie o sztywno ustalonej definicji szczescia i nieszczescia w zyciu swoim i innych, ktorzy wszystko zawsze wiedza lepiej, ktorzy nie czuja empatii, nie wspolodczuwaja z drugim czlowiekiem. Wyobrazcie siebie taki scenariusz - widzicie w sklepie szczesliwa mame z usmiechnietym dzieckiem na reku a pani sprzedawczyni jej wspolczuje. Jest jej przykro. Wspolczuje ale nie wspol-odczuwa. Bo czego wspolczuje? Jakiejs nieznanej, blizej nieokreslonej przyszlosci dziecka ktora bedzie mniej typowa od przyszlosci wiekszosci dzieci? Przeciez chyba nie wspolczuje jej tego ze jest teraz szczesliwa? A przyszlosci przeciez nikt i tak nie zna.
Jedyne co istnieje to "tu i teraz", jedyna realna rzecz. Nie chce jej zepsuc nieszczesliwymi scenariuszami pani ekspedientki ktora wie co jest dobre a co zle zanim mrugnie okiem. Dobre dla nas. Niestety tak niektorzy ludzie wyrazaja swoja troske i szczerze mowiac wole zeby nie troszczyli sie o mnie, ani o moja rodzine, ani o nikogo innego oprocz nich samych. Wowczas moga pozostac w swoim zdefiniowanym pojeciu szczescia tak dlugo jak to jest mozliwe. Ja mam moje szczescie i chce zeby o tym uslyszal swiat.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
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People who express sympathy for the reasons you stated simply have a very narrow view of the world. It is a shame that those folks don't feel the need to widen the scope of their experiences, but I'm thinking self-reflection is not high on their list of priorities. Their loss. On a lighter note, I love all the new pictures you've posted...can't get enough of your kids' smiles!
ReplyDeleteVery well said Kasia! All of our children, tall or short, are just perfect!!
ReplyDeleteJust perfect Kasia. Can I borrow this post?????
ReplyDeleteSure Anthea! I am actually intending to write more, I am working on a piece about being different in a our crazy, defined world..... I will post as soon as I am finished.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI am so very glad you stopped by Magic Marker Monday at 5 Minutes For Special Needs! Both your kiddos are adorable and this post was absolutely perfectly said. There is such a huge difference between sympathy (particularly when it is misplaced) and empathy. Amelia is going to grow up to be one amazing lady surrounded by such a wonderful models for living that she has in her parents :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle @ 5MFSN
http://inthelifeofachild.com
You are so right. I also get it all the time. I do not want anyone feeling sorry for my baby.....she is beautiful and the most important healthy and that is all I ever asked God for it. :O).
ReplyDeleteJulia
Well written! You have beautiful children (they are always so happy!), and you are a great mom! I'm often amazed at the ignorance in our world.
ReplyDeleteI have wondered myself the right way to approach you guys about this- i would love to talk about Amelia with you and know all about her and whatever you want to talk about when you're going through something- but i'm not sure the right way to approach it. I think she's fabulous and fantastically cute and happy and you and Jarek are fabulous parents to her (and Ollie!) I know she has special needs and i'm sure it is sometimes challenging to you- and i hope that everything works out ok for all of you. And i am glad that she is able to get the special care she needs! I hope you don't have to fight with insurance companies too much!
ReplyDeleteBut also, i don't want you to think i'm coldhearted or ignoring the issue either, because i'm not. I just want to treat you all like my normal, old friends :)
(ps- we should do lunch again soon.)
-Steph