What is important to you about the friendship Micha and Scott share?

[Cristy]

What is important to you about the friendship Micha and Scott share?

[Abla]

Micha met a friend Scott at the Canadian Institute conference, and they became great friends as well as their parents. Micah wrote an article about his friend Scott and he explained to his mother how regretted mentioning Scott's disability because he wanted people to know his friend as an individual rather then someone with disabilities. Micah insisted that Scott have a bar mitzvah even though Scott was Catholic. Micah also gave Scott a prayer shall as a gift. It was sad to read about Scott passing away and I was really moved by Micah's farewell to Scott. It was truly a sincere friendship. As I continue reading, I believe and agree with Micah's mother when she said that the IQ test are not correct and the test does not measure someone's intelligence.
The friendship between Micha and Scott was very important. Because they both found someone they can relate to and confined in each other. It is a part of growing up, building relationships and strengthening their personalities. They supported each other and were there for each other when they needed to be. This helped them emotionally and physically.

[Brett]

I think the friendship that Micah and Scott share highlights the importance of human relationships. Not only did their friendship provide importance love and acceptance for each other, but their friendship brought many others together as well. I really loved the religious piece because so often religions seem to be incompatible. The friendship of Scott and Micah transcended those religious boundaries, bringing Jewish traditions into the Catholic church. I also loved how their friendship continues through the relationship between their families. It is beautiful that Micah continues to interact with Scott's parents and can be their "Jewish son."

[Jessica]

I really enjoyed reading about the friendship between Micah and Scott. It seemed like a true, chosen friendship, and in my experience those can be rare for people with disabilities. Many of the people I know with developmental and intellectual disabilities have a very small circle of people they know, and often they spend most of their time with the same people because of their need for support, not because of their desire to spend time with them. People I know who live in group homes, or even CILAs spend all of their time with the other people who live there. Not people they met and independently chose to live with, but people who needed 24 hour care, and chose the same care provider. Many of these individuals get up and see the same people every morning, travel to the same workplace together, travel back home together, and even go on "outings" together. To have a friend you chose, from outside that circle is rare. Sure, there are some true friendships among those people when they spend all their time together, but what a wonderful thing for Micah and Scott to have met and have support systems that allowed them to see each other, despite the distance.

[Emma]

Brett wrote: "I think the friendship that Micah and Scott share highlights the importance of human relationships. Not only did their friendship provide importance love and acceptance for each other, but their fr..."


I completely agree. I really liked how both religious organizations were willing to open up to something that was nontraditional because they understood the importance of this act of kindness and that at the end of the day they are both "rooted in love" (92) so it truly belonged in both places.

I also really loved Micah's insight after he wrote that piece about Scott where he redacted his statement about Scotts eyes and replaced it with a statement about his mind and smile. I think it was insightful of Micah to know that the eye comment would attract people's attention to the wrong aspect of Scott and cloud their perception of who he is. Having a younger brother with visible disabilities I can relate to the feeling of needing to make an extra effort to mention his similarities with other children as well as make sure people know that the disability is something he has not something he is.

[Liz]

Cristy wrote: "What is important to you about the friendship Micha and Scott share?"

I found the story about Scott and Micah's friendship to be hopeful. I do not know what it is like to have a family member with a disability but I have heard many people talk about the fear that their children will never have friends of be able to engage in "normal relationships". Micah recognized the gifts Scott had and connected with him as a friend. He recognized they could be friends and share in similar experiences. I think the innocence of the relationship between Scott and Micah reminds us that if we see the good in people we can connect as people. I am touched by the fact that Micah acknowledged the impact the "no eyes" comment would have on people and that he wanted to change it to help people see the real Scott. The loss of Scott impacted Micah I am sure in ways we will never understand. However, from his writing, his insights are thoughtful and it is obvious that he found a friend and created a relationship that has changed him forever and that he will always remember.