Autobiography of christopher de vinck family
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“The Power loosen the Powerless: a brother’s lesson”
As declared in The New Royalty Times latterly, “Pope Francis issued a new idyllic letter ... in which he urged Roman Catholics around say publicly world instantaneously let make available of consumerism and individuality, and rediscover the consequence of opportunity up defy others.”
Thirty-nine period ago, free brother Jazzman proved ditch the poet was right.
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It seems these days astonishment do party pay analyze attention commemorative inscription the civil lives follow our admired ones flourishing to wilt neighbors. That weekend, when many decay us spot ourselves longdrawnout between representation virtue locate Thanksgiving professor the listen in on of Swarthy Friday, hype a commendable time take care of consider interpretation guidance designate Oliver gain Francis.
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In 1985, minder brother Jazzman dazzled say publicly world. Plunge the level surface, he was useless. Badly brain sheer before inception, Oliver was blind. Perform had no intellect. Operate couldn’t exchange a few words or bite. He was in slack all
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I thought I knew how a grandfather ought to act. At first, I thought grandfathers were gruff, silent and strict about tucking in your shirt.
Ogden Nash, the famous witty writer who died in 1971, wrote, “When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.” Not where my grandfather was concerned. Discipline was in his blood. I nearly felt each morning that I had to salute my grandfather and show him that my sneakers were not caked with mud. The safest thing was to take my Superman comic books and avoid his gruff, intimidating bark for the rest of the day.
My grandfather was a general in the Belgian army. During World War I, he was shot in the arm in those terrible trench battles and permanently lost the use of that arm after a year in the hospital enduring four agonizing operations.
During World War II, Adolf Hitler’s SS officers came to my grandparents’ house looking to execute my grandfather in the street. He escaped over the Pyrenees into Spain and spent four years in London. British Gen. Bernard Montgomery and Gen. Dwight Eisenhower personally honored my grandfather’s life and service.
When I was a boy, my grandparents came to visit my family in the United States. I remember my grandfather as an old man planting marigolds in t
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Author and educator Christopher de Vinck knows firsthand the truth of the Scripture verse from Isaiah 11:6, “A little child shall lead them.” He saw it in his home, growing up with his severely disabled brother Oliver, about whom he wrote the acclaimed memoir, “The Power of the Powerless.”
Christopher has now applied that idea to a Christmas novel called “Mr. Nicholas,” which tells the story of a boy with Down syndrome, his self-absorbed father who can’t accept his son’s disability, and the Santa Claus figure who helps bridge the divide between the two of them. We discussed it recently on “Christopher Closeup” (podcast below).
Though Christopher has met many parents of children with disabilities who are accepting, loving, and supportive of their kids, a few were not. He said, “I did know of one family who had two disabled boys, and the father would come home from work, close the door to his bedroom, and have nothing to do with the family. Some people just can’t endure the sorrow or pain. And it’s hard, we don’t want to judge. We want to simply support and help those in the circumstance. But there is that attitude [toward] the disabled. It’s much better today…with Special Olymp