he ain't heavy......

"Every creature has it's rightful place--and it's rightful place becomes beautiful!" ~ Grey Owl

Long before it was considered "cool" to say anything, there were people who gave us their gifts, be it through music, acting, singing, whatever. When the word "homosexual" was uttered, we were shocked. "Him? Her? That way?" and our opinions of all of their contributions went right out the window.
What made the difference? The fact that they were somehow different than the rest of us?
Being a different nationality, we can see. Having a handicap, we can see. Having a horrible illness- we can see. Being autistic, having Down's syndrome, we can see that. And sadly, many form their opinions based on those so called "handicaps." They are "different." Because they are not like the rest of us, we tend to stay away. We have formed ideas of who "they" are--and we are not "them".
Now that the LGBT community is making themselves known, folks who we once thought of as "one of us," have joined another group entirely. Or is this only in our own minds that they are somehow "different?"
God made us all in His image and likeness. Race, color, creed, ideals, we are all one. How is a song written by a known composer different because of any one of these components? I am thinking of Elton John here. A painting done by Van Gogh? He suffered from depression.  Does that make his work any less than what it is? A peacemaker who took on Washington? I am thinking of Martin Luther King Jr. Was his race an impediment for his wanting to see peace? A nun who, despite her outward frailty, had a huge heart. I am thinking of Mother Teresa. A priest who suffered from leprosy, yet tended to other lepers in what is now Hawaii. I am thinking of Father Damien. He walked in those shoes and thus, could help those people. An actor who, despite his Down's syndrome diagnosis, was a main character of an '80's TV show titled, "Life Goes On." I am thinking of Chris Burke.

I am also thinking of those who devoted their lives to showing the rest of us that folks like Chris Burke had merit, talent, worth! I am thinking of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. That people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer are not going to just curl up and die, but that they can fight for all they are worth and many can and do survive. Thank you to Susan G. Komen, for although she has passed on, her hope has carried on through the years, thanks to her sister, Nancy.

I am also thinking about the many folks for whom struggles have been the story of their lives, but who also had people on their side who said, "you can do this, don't give up." We can laugh at people like Charlie Sheen, what a buffoon, right? Yet his own father, Martin Sheen, held him up, saying, "you wouldn't leave him if he had cancer. Well, addictions are just as bad." And he stuck by him!

I am thinking of those whose questionable past morals have given them a stigma that even now, if you mentioned them by name,  you would also cringe. Yet those same people have seen the error of their ways and have spoken out against their past mistakes, helping others who are falling into the same patterns. People like Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, who have been in the pits of a drug filled hell and come out, scarred but alive. Nikki works with teens through a program he started called, "Running Wild in the Night," as well as through Covenant House, a program started by...a nun named Sister Rose MacRaedy.

The best example we have is a priest who worked with delinquent boys in Omaha. His philosophy was, "there is no such thing as a bad boy."  One house became two, then it became more as his principles spread throughout America. His program? Boys Town (now also known as Boys and Girls Town, as it expanded to help girls also.) Father Flanagan will live on forever through the many children his program has helped.

"Yup, he ain't heavy, he's my brother."

This should be OUR motto as well. Don't look at outward appearances. Look at what the heart feels/does. I know of someone who just "came out" not too long ago. Someone who is my age and who had been my friend for almost twenty years. When he quietly announced that he was leaving his wife, I was concerned. When I found out why, I didn't cast him aside, I just gave him a shoulder to lean on.
And that is all any one of us needs to do really. Just offer a shoulder to lean on.
He ain't heavy--he's my brother.