My name is . I live in Westport with my wife and our children. We are members of Circle of Friends as our daughter, is a disabled child.
This is a night to honor the volunteers who support Circle of Friends. Your work – from a parent’s perspective – is wonderful, inspiring, and vitally important. That’s just the parent’s perspective – from the kids perspective it’s nothing short of spectacular. When I was preparing for this speech I asked my daughter how she would describe her friends from Circle of Friends – and these are her words: “they are awesome” – “they are the greatest friends a person can have” – “they are great and I love them.”
So, for me, it’s not that hard to think of what to say to the volunteers that are here tonight – at least not from the parent’s perspective. I have a very simple metaphor to use to help you, the volunteers, appreciate how we, the parents, think of you.
When I was growing up, years and years ago, and as my own kids grew up, it would always seem as though there were clubs, or groups, or cliques that we’d want to be part of. Maybe it’s the glee club, the ski club, the boy or girl scouts – some group or club that had a very attractive appeal about it that made you want to be a part of it. You get the message – we have things we want to belong to.
Well, as parents, as siblings, as families of children with disabilities, we are all members of a pretty unique Club. But, unlike these other clubs, I can’t say it’s one we pursued. It kind of found us. A few years after our second child was born, I began to realize that I was now a member of the special needs Club.
I won’t spend time with you tonight taking you back through the days, weeks, months, and years, of learning what the Club’s membership means. But, I assure you it’s a challenging experience much of the time. We care, like any parent, about our child’s development and so many other things. We care deeply about whether she can find and maintain friendships. And, I know, as any Club member can tell you, much of our concerns are not unique.
That’s why, when it comes to Circle of Friends, I can’t help feeling that something has happened to redefine the Club somewhat. Membership has gotten a lot bigger. Who would have thought that such a thing would exist? That kids, in their teens and younger, many with not a care in the world, and who have all the friends a person could ask for, along with a perfectly “normal” life, would want to join the Club? But, as volunteers, you do.
To Sammy and Leslie – who are our daughter's current friends from Circle of Friends, and to Andrea and Allie, who we came to know in earlier years, thank you for joining our Club. Thank you for taking time from your day, from all the wonderful things teenage kids want to do, and, instead spending some of that time with us. Thank you for showing us, as a family – for helping us appreciate – as a family – that you really, truly, want to be part of our Club. Our thanks also to your families who lose some time with you so that you can be with our children. And, to your parents, whose kindness means they drive you to and from our home – parents who deserve all the credit in the world for raising kids like you who recognize the importance of giving back to others and helping those less fortunate.
There a lot of people to thank for the Circle of Friends program. I won’t try to name them all here. But, I must express my gratitude for all that Rabbi and Freida Hecht do to support the Program. Freida, your support, energy, commitment, sincerity, and kindness, and love mean so much to us. Mendel, your son, has been an exemplary teacher for Hillary in Sunday School. Your development of the Sunday School program for us – been another great contribution to the Club. Through that program our daughter met Rebecca, her very own genuine best friend, something that has been great to experience. And we got to make our own new friendship with the Yormarks, two other members of the Club, and people we are very privileged to call friends.
Thanks also to all the people who helped pull this night together – I know how hard you have worked and we really appreciate the support.
To the Circle of Friends volunteers – again - thanks. Thanks for all your love, your time, your kindness, and, thanks for making us realize that membership in the Club is not without its benefits.
And, thanks to my wife, and our son, for being such an important part of my life, of our duaghter's success, and for steering us through all the challenges we have ahead.
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