Categories
Celebrations

Giving Thanks in November

flower

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s origin dates back to 1621 when Pilgrims celebrated their first corn harvest in Plymouth, Massachusetts with Native Americans who taught them survival skills. Four hundred years later thanksgiving feasts continue to be shared among family and friends.

In 1981, I shared my first thanksgiving meal as a newly-wed with my husband Robert and his family. Today as I reflect back on 43 years of marriage, I reflect on a few wonderful things that have also happened in November:

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  • The Little People of America (LPA) battle against dwarf tossing had several notable actions worthy of thanks:
    • In 1985, the Chicago Sun Times reported cancellation of the dwarf tossing event planned in Chicago.

    • In 2001, “Dave the Dwarf” filed a lawsuit asking the court not to enforce the 1989 Florida law prohibiting dwarf tossing contests in licensed establishments. Thankfully LPA advocacy caused a State agency to pass a rule strengthening the law and another contest was cancelled.

    • In 2011, 146 printed pages of a change.org petition with 4,834 signatures was delivered to Florida State Assembly Representative Workman after he filed a bill to repeal the 1989 law. Thankfully the bill died in Committee.
  • In 1990, I was grateful to receive news that I had passed the New York State bar ethics exams.
  • In 1991, Robert’s business moved out of the basement in our home into a commercial office building.
  • In 1997, Robert started work as a rehabilitation engineer at the Florida State Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
  • In 1999, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. This was the precursor to the July 2004 publication of the final rule lowering the reach range from 54 to 48 inches.

Fast forward 25 years and we find ourselves in our seventies with our marriage vow to stand by each other no matter what happens is staring us in the face.

Robert’s health took a dive in March 2024 when he was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease and began kidney dialysis three times a week. Add to this issues with his cognition, respiration, mobility, and hearing. This year Robert has been a regular caller of 911, taken to the ER seven times and admitted to hospital five times. He has received physical, occupational and speech language therapy at home and in two different rehabilitation facilities. And now in November 2024 his level of care precludes his return home and requires admission into a skilled nursing facility.

So what do we have to be thankful for in these circumstances? Admittedly, it is a true test of our faith. But I have no doubt that just as God has taken care of us in the past, we can trust Him to do the same in the future. I am grateful that God knows what we need and has promised to provide for us better than sparrows and lilies. (Matthew 10:29-31.)

Image credit: Ralph from Pixabay

For related blog posts by Angela, go to:

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FAQs

What Do I Have in Common with Kittens, Puppies and Babies?

cats

A strange question for me to ask when I don’t have fur, don’t run after balls, and am not a newborn. Nonetheless kittens, puppies and babies do share a common adjective with little people. Cute!

At 71 years of age it doesn’t sit well when someone calls me cute. It usually happens when strangers see me for the first time. They’re taken aback by my height of 40 inches. Exclamations of how cute I am are exaggerated when I’m riding my mobility scooter especially if my husband and I are riding tandem.

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Being called cute is nothing new, but has been more frequent in recent weeks. It happens when visiting my husband in hospital and rehabilitation facilities where I’m surrounded by unfamiliar faces. As staff congregate just before a shift change, I often overhear them saying, “oh, she’s so cute.” In one-on-one encounters, I’m told to my face, “you’re so cute.”

So why does this bother me?

It’s certainly better than being called the “m” word or some other pejorative term. And based on the smiles that go along with their assessment of my appearance, I deduce that the cuteness label comes from my small size being attractive or appealing to them. At least this is better than being called cute for behavior that is shrewd, annoying or smart-alecky.

In the scheme of things, it’s not a big deal, and I don’t lose any sleep over it. But after checking the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of cute, I confirmed that my irritation is well founded. The definition based on appearance hones in on my being childish, youthful, or delicate. None of these descriptors are accurate or acceptable!

In chapter one of the first book in my dwarfism trilogy, Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses, I wrote at length about the importance of being treated according to my age as both a child and teenager. Now as an adult, I am compelled to reject the cute adjective that risks my being subject to responses reserved for children. I don’t want to be patted on the head, picked up, cuddled, or have my cheeks squeezed. I imagine if I stuck around long enough one of these “admirers” would be tempted to do any one of these things.

Even more significant is the damage being done to the Little People community. Accepting the cute label, could stop us being taken seriously as adults in line for a job, apartment, or car purchase, for example. Who would hire a lawyer with babyish characteristics?

To cap it off, adults with dwarfism have no interest in stealing the scene in the way kittens, puppies and babies are used in movies and advertising. Our desire is to be accepted in society’s mainstream as equal contributing members. Our appearance should not limit our opportunities for inclusion as competent adults. Please help make this happen by resisting the temptation to call an adult Little Person cute.

Image credit: Roland from pixabay. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cats-nature-cute-animal-soft-8743206/

To learn more about Angela’s blog and dwarfism memoir trilogy–

  • ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities
  • PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith 
  • Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses

–go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com