Speaker 1
Many people live with disabilities. Some visible, others invisible, but no less challenging. Jenny Wright, a one RPH member and reader with lived experience talks with Monica Short from Charles Sturt University about life with disabilities.
Speaker 2
Welcome back Monica. How are you today?
Speaker 3
I'm good Jenny, it's great to be here with you. How are you?
Speaker 2
I'm really well. Going like a trooper.
Speaker 3
And it's great to be here with everyone.
Speaker 2
Our program today is called Respecting the Gifts of People, Living with Disabilities and the Gift of Laughter and Belonging. And to begin this week's program, I thought we'd start with a poem on it because I really feel it enhances what we're going to discuss today.
Speaker 3
I love poems. Please do.
Speaker 2
And from FamilyFriendPoems.com. And the title is My Idol. And it's by someone called Gemma.
A young man aged 21 who I'll always look up to. He plays guitar and he's popular with the girls. He's a friend to all, strong as an ox. Not fat yet, not thin. Completely selfless. Always helping others who had to be less fortunate than himself. He's rarely discouraged, always smiling, always laughing. Why does this very average boy stand above everyone else? And why do I admire him so much? Because he does all this in life and carries on. He never asked why me and he never says he's had enough. Though he has no legs since the day he was born. Why can't everybody be like this young man?
So Monica, how do you feel about that one? Can you share, continue to share your project about rural Australia?
Speaker 3
I think it's a beautiful poem and it's a great journey. It really does fit in with what we're about to talk about. So one of the projects that I've been involved in was looking, was thinking about rural churches. And it's a partnership with Charles Sturt University, Bush Church Aid, CBM Australia, Luke 14 program, and the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Gulburn. And the project is called Anglican Churches Engaging with People Living with Disabilities.
For part of that project, I visited a midweek church service that was held in a day centre attached to a residential and treatment facility. And that project really highlighted the power of belonging and what it feels like to exist within a community. Now, a number of the congregation members who were there at this service were unable to attend weekend church services due to health reasons. And the pastoral care worker explained that the church conducted services in the centre because some people just couldn't physically leave the facility.
And the worker was telling me about how wonderful each person was. And so I was, it was infectious and I was excited to go. So I visited the day centre and if you can imagine this, you know, I'm walking into the centre. I walk up a ramp into a health building down the corridor. The walls are all white. The place smells very clean, like disinfectant. On one side of the corridor is a group room with people in it. In front of me is a nurse's station. On the other side is another group room with more people in it. And when I've arrived, I introduce myself to the people. And many of them were there early and they were just waiting for others to arrive.
And I found them all so beautiful and friendly and happy. I sat down to a young adult who I'll call Joe because of the research project. I had to change his name, Jenny. It's part of the ethics process that the university has. So we'll just call him Joe, but that's not his real name. And he smiled politely and then he looked at the door and he was obviously waiting for people to walk in. And I noticed as I was waiting that Joe was in a wheelchair and that he communicated non-verbally. However, he had the best smile and exceptional non-verbal communication skills. Inwarp to someone, Jenny.
And they went directly to Joe and they'd pick up his hoodie and put it on his head. And Joe and the person would laugh and the person would say hello to Joe and they'd have a special moment together. It was obvious that in this small country town, in this small facility, that Joe had a very definite and important place. And he said hello to every person who walked in that group. And Joe observed. And it was just so beautiful, Jenny. I'm not even sure I can tell you how beautiful it was. I can imagine. Actions speak louder than words. They sure do.
So the way he said hello to people non-verbally through his face was very powerful, Jenny. He glowed. In came another person rushing to be there. They were running a bit late and they just went straight to Joe, gave him a kiss and he then greeted the others. And every time someone arrived, Joe received the first hello. And he replied non-verbally with a hello back. It was beautiful to watch and it was obvious that he was very important to this group. And he really, truly, honestly belonged and made the group good. Like he made the group a wonderful place to be.
The church service started and Joe's face radiated happiness. People, it was before COVID. People were singing songs loudly as a community and Joe signed the words. During the church service, his smile grew larger and larger and his eyes were twinkling. Eventually it finished and I spoke to some of the people afterwards about Joe and about him living in this facility and about the whole project and the different groups that were going on, etc.
Every person informed me that Joe inspired and encouraged them, that they really loved communicating with him and enjoyed his community so much, Jenny. They just loved being with him. Everyone was thriving in this community through belonging. And Joe, through laughter and happiness, was making everybody else happy and feel wonderful. He was sunshine for all of us. It was so beautiful, Jenny. Small country town and these gorgeous people.
07:07
Speaker 2
And it's great that you know Joe and everyone in the group laugh so much. It reminds me of a quote, don't wait to be happy you may die and never have laughed and that was from motivators .com. Wouldn't that be sad if you've never never had the occasion to laugh? I can't imagine it but I guess it could happen, some people just don't laugh.
Speaker 3
it would be actually really really sad. And yeah, it's, you don't realise how much a gift into your life, Jenny, laughter is. Like it's a gift that you're sharing with somebody else, but it's also a gift that they're giving to you and you're giving back to them. It's a beautiful thing to laugh and it's a beautiful thing to belong and have dignity and respect and be accepted for exactly who you are and to be, allow your strengths, you know, what you're good at to just shine through and make the world a better place. It's wonderful.
Speaker 2
They say laughter is the best medicine don't they?
Speaker 3
They sure do. They definitely do.
Speaker 2
Well thank you for that Monica - and I've got a poem here if I think, would you mind if I read it? I believe it would go okay with what we've been saying.
Speaker 3
Love to hear it Jenny.
Speaker 2
And it's called We Can All Shine and it's by Ambim Bola to Alibi from FamilyFriendPoems.com.
We can all live and just be who we are meant to be in this life. Allowing love to set us free rather than giving in to strife. There's always space up above for every willing bird to fly. The heavens never have enough shining stars to fill the sky. Without tearing others down we sure can build ourselves up. Without dragging them to the ground we can all climb to the top. Why make this life a contest? To always compare and compete. When we are truly at our best lifting up those that we meet. Let's strive for the best we can be helping each other along the line. The sky is vast for you and me and together we all can shine.
And what do you think Monica, just like that young man Joe? He's shone his face just he glowed. Yeah expressed the love the joy in the peace of God. And that circumstances and people radiate towards that don't they?
Speaker 3
Yeah, I think that's very true. And I know I'm just thinking of another story that I heard about Joe. Like I said, that's not his real name, but because of the research, we changed people's name. And I'm just thinking about how people talked about when they saw Joe down the street and he was having coffee in a cafe. And what they told me was they couldn't stop, they just had to stop. They couldn't walk by, they had to stop and sit down with Joe and have a cup of coffee with him. And how much they absolutely loved just spending time with him because he made the world a better place.
And they said, whenever they felt like they had problems or troubles or difficulty, if they had a coffee with Joe, afterwards they felt a lot better. And they said, he didn't say, you know, it's gonna be okay, cause he couldn't say that. And he didn't say anything, you know, to solve their problems. But it was just the fact that he had time for them and the way his face looked when they saw them and the way he exchanged non -verbally his different messages of, I care about you, I'm gonna listen to you, I'm gonna engage with you, I'm gonna laugh with you, I'm gonna smile with you, I'm gonna love you. And I just thought, we all need people like that in our lives and it is a wonderful, wonderful gift.
11:05
Speaker 2
Well, I think too, that at times we all try to say too much. You know, people come to talk to us and all they want is someone to listen to them. You know, just to show, like you say, to show they care. And then it's okay, they can sit there and this young man, he wasn't focused on his disability.
Speaker 3
No, he had a lot of ability.
Speaker 2
Thank you, Monica. I'd now like to finish with another poem. It's called, Mighty Oak. And this is by Kathy J. Perrento from FamilyFriendPoems.com.
Stand tall, O mighty oak, for all the world to see. Your strengthened undying beauty forever amazes me. Though storm clouds hover above you, your branches span the sky. In search of the radiant sunlight you count on to survive. When the winds are high and restless and you lose a limb or two, it only makes you stronger. We could learn so much from you. Though generations have come and gone and brought about such change, quietly you've watched them all, yet still remain the same. Only pray God gives to me the strength he's given you, to face each day with hope, for the skies are black or blue. Life on earth is truly a gift, every moment we must treasure. It's the simple things we take for granted that become our ultimate pleasures.
Speaker 3
That's beautiful, Jenny.
Speaker 2
It's a great poem. So thank you all for listening. Thank you, Monica. And I pray that you all find the strength you need for each new day.
12:44
Speaker 1
You've been listening to Jenny Wright and Monica Short talking about life with disabilities. This program has been produced by 1RPH Canberra.
