By John Norton

Living example: 'My yoke is easy, my burden light'

Of the families in the neighborhood with kids about the same age as ours, we've gotten to know one in particular. Maybe it's partly because they're Catholic, too.

The youngest of their three children, Rachel, is a 3-year-old girl. Our youngest is also a 3-year-old girl.

But they've never played together, and they never will.

Their child has Tay-Sachs, a fatal disease that progressively attacks the nervous system. She is unable to move or talk. She is fed through a feeding tube.

She was at our house the other night. The whole family came over to help us celebrate our 7-year-old son's first Communion. She sat in a sort of wheelchair, eyes open, as the children tore past her in their games and we adults carried on a lively conversation in the kitchen.

I was gratified to see my little girls, 3 and 5 years old, stop occasionally to give Rachel a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Maybe it's only adults who feel awkward in the face of illness and mortality.

But I was also struck by the relaxed attentiveness of Rachel's parents. Rachel is unable to swallow on her own, so her parents have a little device, not unlike the one in the dentist's office, that vacuums the saliva out of the back of her mouth.

At the first sound of discomfort from Rachel, sort of a little cough, they'd lean over and clear out her mouth with hardly a break in the conversation. This happened over and over, every couple of minutes. But their patience was constant.

Of course, I'm sure these parents have their bad days, too. But it is clear that this sick child who needs so much constant care isn't the enormous burden on a family that a convenience-conscious society would have us think.

It makes me think of Jesus' remarks about his yoke being light. There is a burden, but it doesn't feel so heavy when you're carrying it.

In this issue, we profile three mothers (see Page 14) of special-needs children. One of them says of her son, who has a severe developmental disorder:

"It's like taking care of a little saint. He just gives everyone this unconditional love, and he is the happiest person I have ever known. He is a wonderful source of grace for our family, and we feel so blessed to have him."

Would that we who are blessed with healthy families be able to have the same sense of God's grace and blessing in the face of much lesser trials.

The profiles mark today's celebration of Mother's Day, and we offer our readers who are mothers warmest wishes.

It is also worth noting that May is also the month dedicated to the Mother of God, Mary.

On Page 8, historian Thomas Craughwell takes a look at the traditional practice of May Crownings.