Simon Barnes is a British Sports journalist and author, whose writing about his young son Eddie we have enjoyed and admired over the years. Now he's written a new book (not just about having a child with Down syndrome), and the Times Online has published an extract this weekend, about Eddie's love of books, how sign has enhanced his communication, and he poses the question, What is Eddie for?
His short answer is Eddie’s function is to be loved, and to love in return. Perhaps that is everybody’s ultimate function. Read the extract, and then maybe the book, My Natural History: The Animal Kingdom and How it Shaped Me by Simon Barnes (Short Books, not yet released) for the long answer.
The comments are appreciative and apt, without being overly sentimental - such as Thanks.......refreshing to read a piece that is so delightfully uncomplicated.
An earlier about Eddie, by Simon Barnes:
Simon
ReplyDeleteThank you for your exquisitely written article about your son Eddie.
I too have been privileged to have worked with a number of children with Down's during my career as a teacher. I found them to be amongst the most loving and giving members of our school community.
Their sense of humour and disarming
frankness made them universally popular with the rest of the class.
Howard Davies Suffolk (retired headteacher of Orford CEVA school.)