I just noticed someone posted this quote on the Antigone Rising board:
"I have a new nephew. My sister and her husband brought him home from a Russian orphanage last February. His name is Roma, and he just turned three. Roma came here and weighed only 17 pounds at the age of 2. He was sick for most of that first year and grossly malnourished. He did not know how to jump. Worse, he did not know how to laugh. He'd try, but all that would come out was a strained growl-scream. He didn't understand that these strangers were his new family, and he had a little trouble making the transition. That was Roma. After 5-10 therapy sessions per week, several necessary operations, and an excess of food and love he's coming right along. But there are still those who say he's learning-disabled, and the terms "ADD" and "possible future sociopath" are being thrown around. Hmmmm. So i pick Roma up from his day-school at the Center for the Disabled a couple weeks ago and we're driving home as usual. And as usual, i'm talking to him and he's repeating the words back but not really understanding. So i tried something: i turned my stereo on and played the tape that was in there. It was a cold, sunny day and Romie's eyes were closing slowly. (Antigone, i'm sorry, but i suck with titles and my tape's not labelled, but that diamond song...) That diamond song came on. Roma sat up in his kid-seat and strained to see where that sound was coming from...I picked up the box and put it where he could see and hear it the best, and he listened in silence, struck. I had to laugh, because i remembered that that was the same look i had the first time i heard it. And he just stared and listened, like he couldn't believe it. At the end, when Cassidy goes back into the last soft part, he looked at me and said one word very clearly: "more?" to which i answered "of course!" We had time to hear it 5 1/2 more times before we got home, and each time, he'd say, "more?" In fact, he'd keep saying it while it rewound until he heard the first words start again. I picked him up yesterday, and of course my box has eaten my tape and i can't find my cd, so i figured i'd try something else. I started singing the words and i didn't even get thru the first 1/2 sentence before he started saying "more" and craning his neck to find the magic box that makes the song come out the way it's sposed to. Here's my point. Roma's three, and he's already seen more shit than most of us. He doesn't understand english yet, but he does understand the sound of an indominable spirit, of inspiration, the sound of refusing to be diminished. The spirit of this song, of these women who are out busting their balls to get this music out to people, bridges every divide, be it language, race, gender, age, whatever. Even if he didn't know the words, for the time that that song played, Roma and i were completely in the same space together: free, whole again, in the company of fellow love warriors, and unbreakable, no matter what. So i'm saying thank you from us both, and also: Romie is a wonderful, loving, smart little boy, and he's gonna be just fine. i've decided to make him a mixed cd of tunes that make me feel brave and big inside, to help him along when he needs it (or anytime). It's gonna start with the diamond song. If anybody has any suggestions on other stong-hearted tunes to put on there, i'd love to hear them. STAY STRONG and let world peace start with each of us. much love***cris "
Wow. I'm speechless. Cassidy is one amazing girl. She has me astounded in SO many ways. I don't think anyone understands what this girl does for me.
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