S ome years ago I was referred a man who was suffering from severe depression. He told me that he had always been a happy person until “disaster struck”: his wife had given birth to a child with special needs and he now saw his life crumbling before him. He blamed his wife the world and anyone else he thought was worth blaming. He had never been religious but he decided to blame G-d too. What I did not know then was that a few years later I would face exactly the same challenge.
On December 23 2013 our son Netanel came into the world. Netanel was no ordinary baby. He was born with Down syndrome. As our new baby was taken for endless tests I had time to think. I too was angry and confused. This was not part of my life script. This was not supposed to happen.
Although we wish that life could live up to our dreams inevitably we all have moments when we are suddenly dealt a painful blow. It is a shock it hurts and it knocks us off balance. We struggle to stay on our feet. Our hopes are dashed.
A reality slap can come in many different forms. Sometimes it’s in a more violent form: lo aleinu the death of a loved one a serious illness or injury a disabled child a violent crime. Other times it can be somewhat gentler: a flash of anger a pang of jealousy feelings of loneliness and isolation a painful stab of rejection.
