Irish Thought for January 23...

Irish Folklore

Changelings

A changeling is a supernatural creature, usually a fairy and often described as ugly and nasty tempered, that has been secretly exchanged for a human baby.  In medieval folklore, the idea of a swapped child was quite common, indicating deeply rooted concern about misunderstood reasons for infant mortality, disease, and disorders.  One supposed way of discovering if your baby was a changeling was to boil egg shells in front of the suspect infant- if it laughed or spoke, it wasn't actually human.  To reverse the swap, changelings were sometimes supposed to be scooped up by a red-hot shovel and tossed into a chimney fire...and then the original child would be returned unharmed.

The folklore describes the misunderstood reasons for babies to be "different" in medieval times like so much has changed since then.  In many ways, we do understand more about afflictions babies and children might have.  However, for some people, understanding more does not necessarily equal "understanding."   I recently read an article about a couple who went to a restaurant for dinner.  When the couple was seated, they noticed a family at a table nearby.  One of this family's children had down syndrome in a way that was noticeable.  The couple asked the waiter if they could be moved to a different table because the child "made them uncomfortable."  The couple further said, "Don't parents know that those sort of children should be kept hidden away."  The waiter, because respecting customers was part of his job, moved the couple to a different table.  He may have moved the couple because it was part of his job, however, he refused to wait on the couple after such horrid remarks were made.  
If you don't know there are many degrees of down syndrome and, like so many illnesses, down syndrome is unique to every person.  I have read so many articles of people born with down syndrome growing up and these people are able to accomplish so much with their lives, more than I ever will. That couple in the restaurant showed that there are still people who think of afflicted children as people might have during medieval times.  Personally, I respect the families who are able to grow, learn, research, and adapt when a child needs a little more.  The people of these families are heroes who use love to guide them through a different path.