Curate, connect, and discover
Gather ‘round, friends! Class is in session!
(I hope this is the last time I have to make this post, honestly.)
Reasons why it’s okay to criticize or dislike Shannon that have nothing to do with Buddie:
❌ Spoke of her son as if he were a burden by making sure Eddie knew how much she suffered while raising Christopher alone.
❌ Believed her son must hate her because she “did this to him” (“made” him have CP), which is her way of saying that Christopher must not like who he is just because he has a disability.
❌ Sees Christopher’s condition as a sign that she did something wrong, aka she was punished for a mistake she must have made while pregnant.
❌ She thought she “could make up for it” by researching treatments and therapies - Again, viewed Christopher’s disability as a mistake she had to atone for/fix, rather than accept and embrace who he was.
❌ Found the time and effort required to get Christopher the help he needed “so overwhelming and exhausting” that she “needed a break”, thus prioritizing her feelings over those of her son, the disabled person who can never get a day off from the life he was given.
❌ Begged to see Christopher only to realize she still wasn’t committed to being the mother he deserved.
Reasons why it’s okay to criticize or dislike Ana that have nothing to do with Buddie:
❌ She was employed by an inclusive school, meaning disabled students are supposed to be treated the same as their able-bodied classmates in all aspects of education, yet when Christopher fell off the skateboard, she took it as a sign that he shouldn’t do it all because his limitations were insurmountable.
(We know this to be false because of the adaptive skateboard scene, so the takeaway is that she defines Christopher by what he can’t do rather than what he is capable of.)
❌ She views Christopher as a “very sensitive boy” so Eddie should be “cautious” about telling him they’re together.
Sensitivity is not a negative personality trait. It’s important to allow ourselves to feel. But in this context? Ana believes Christopher’s sensitivity is something that might cause a problem for Eddie if he doesn’t react the way they hope.
Referring to anybody as “very” or “too” sensitive is an attempt to dismiss or invalidate their reaction because it makes someone else uncomfortable.
No adult, especially not one that worked with children whose minds function “differently”, should ever say those words about a little boy.