Today’s act of kindness is dedicated to my cousin Angel. The world is a happier place because you are here with us. We are truly blessed to know you…even though we are 1700+ miles away, you and the family are always in our hearts.
Today, March 6th, is the national awareness day for the R-Word campaign. Their motto is:
“Spread The Word To End The Word”
As I was deciding what to do for today’s act of kindness, I noticed something on my Facebook news feed that caught my attention. My cousin in Las Vegas posted that she and her sister both signed a pledge to practice what they preach…to promote the elimination of the R-Word from their vocabulary and promote the equal treatment of all people, especially those with disabilities. The second that I saw this, I knew I had to be a part of it! And so, I signed the pledge right away.
I am sure, in my dumb teenage years, I may have used this word out of context. But age has made me wiser, more aware of the consequences of my words and actions…ultimately, I think I’m a more compassionate and understanding person as a whole. It kills me inside that something I may have said in error or even in joking could have been perceived as derogatory. As I got older, I realized how awful the use of that word was and as a young teen, I made a conscious decision not to use it in my vocabulary.
This is why this movement has moved me (pardon the pun). I hope that if anything, my “non-use” of this word, at the least, made someone else reconsider using it as well throughout the years. And I hope, that this movement will continue to promote the acceptance and inclusion of those with intellectual disabilities. Please consider signing the pledge to do the same at http://www.r-word.org and please, spread the word to end the word!
Until tomorrow…
vmo
365 Days of Kindness 