The Light In His Eyes

By Joseph J. Mazzella • April 9, 2018

After I graduated college I struggled to find work. I applied everywhere but no one was interested in hiring me. Finally I was able to find a job in a group home for mentally disabled adults. It wasn’t easy work. We were responsible for the feeding, dressing, hygiene, and safety of our clients. We had to keep them on a schedule, take them to their supported jobs, and help them to control their behaviors when they acted out. It was a difficult job emotionally and I really wasn’t ready for it. The truth be told I didn’t look forward to going to work each day.

One of our clients in particular was a young man who couldn’t talk and would often act out when frustrated. He did enjoy walking outside, however, so the other workers would often have me take him for a stroll up the road to calm him down. One day when we were out walking I suddenly felt something touch my fingers. The young man was trying to hold my hand. Instead of pushing it away I took his hand in mine and we walked along together in the sunshine. Then as we turned to head back to the home I saw it. There was a light shining in his eyes. It was full of love. It was full of joy. It was full of goodness. In that moment I saw past his troubling behaviors and his handicapped mind. In that moment I saw the angelic spirit that lay within him. In that moment I saw who he really was.

Little did I know that God would use that experience to help prepare me for my own two son’s Autism. It would help me to see the light that lay within them as well. It would help me to learn that caring for them was not a duty but an honor. It would help me to realize that they were to be my greatest teachers in how to live and how to love.

The handicapped can teach us so much in this life. They can show us the divinity that lies within each of us. They can show us that the only way to make sure that laughter, love, and joy live on our planet is to put them there ourselves. They can show us that light, love, and kindness are the essential parts of our being. Don’t ignore the lessons they teach. Embrace them with love. And always remember that every child of God is precious and holy.

PREVIOUS STORY NEXT STORY SHARE YOUR STORY

Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoThese Cat Reactions To Owners Calling Them Through Security Cameras Are Absolutely Hilarious

feel good storiesTeen Mom Shares The Note A Nurse Left for Her At 16 — Years Later, The Story Comes Full Circle

feel good storiesTaylor Swift’s High School Ex Had The Funniest Take On Her Engagement News

feel good storiesReal People Recall The Moments That Brought Them The Purest Joy

feel good storiesYes, A Screaming Hairy Armadillo Exists — And He Just Moved To Mississippi

feel good storiesAnniversary Gift Goes Hilariously Wrong — Or Maybe Perfectly Right

feel good videoThese Cat Reactions To Owners Calling Them Through Security Cameras Are Absolutely Hilarious

feel good videoThey Noticed A Stray Dog Staring At A Toy In The Claw Machine, So They Won It For Her

feel good videoKind Man Rescues Puppies, And The Mom’s Reaction Says It All

feel good videoAndrea Bocelli Joins Queen Legend Brian May For Unforgettable Duet

feel good videoMom Shares Wholesome Video Of Stranger Making Her Son’s Birthday Magical

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me