This is a term I have always heard and assumed to know the meaning of. I found that this term originated from an old movie only now, thanks to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_a_Lesser_God .
I have always associated children with some form of a handicap to be created by a lesser God because I cannot bring myself to understand how he could do that to a child. He cannot be the best God if he did that to a child now can he? Whatever our scriptures say about karma and us being re-born and experiencing and paying for our past sins, it never can justify seeing a child like that. I am sure we have all had our exposures with children less fortunate than us but it sure hits you rock bottom when you encounter the same after having a child of your own, one that bring you so much joy with every smile!
Some months ago I came across at a get-together we went to; a child affected by Down syndrome. Seeing that child shook me as I was holding V in my arms and it brought back the never answerable question what if? When asked if we wanted to test if our baby had a chance of being affected when I was expecting, it was something I did not want to do as I would not know how to react if I found out the test came out positive. We wanted that baby no matter what and this was an unnecessary test I felt. However we did it just to find out if we needed to expect something different from normal so we could be prepared. I guess we were fortunate to find out that we were having a normal baby.
But I wondered even then, what if? Would I be a good parent to a child who would need special attention and patience much more than 10 normal children could demand? Can I accept the pity that everyone’s eyes would offer when they saw us? Will I even socialize and go out for fear that I would be different from the others? Every park and every street I go to, I would see beautiful children running and smiling at their mommies and daddies and riding tricycles and climbing play structures. Their parents worry about whether the child will fall off that swing when a parent with a special child worries if their child will ever ever get on the swing even if it was to get hurt. Such different perspectives, such different situations all by a twist of fate.
I always think back to Raghuvaran’s answer to his daughter in the movie Anjali when she asks him why Shamilee was born to them and not to the girl or boy next door. He would respond saying that God picked them because that child needed extra attention and only they were capable of giving it. There is a lot of depth in that statement. Maybe God hand picks the parents to these children with special needs, his children, because they are more than human. They are almost God in what they do for these children and how they care for them. I cannot even begin to understand how challenging their lives must be. I want to dedicate this post and offer my respect to these special human beings. In them I see God, in their action I learn what compassion and patience actually mean. Standing in their shoes, I remind myself I should never complain and try to become a better person. Definitely I realize how insignificant my trouble and how selfish my desires are.
