Unless you’ve been living on the moon, you know by now about President Obama’s unfortunate Special Olympics comment made on The Tonight Show.  Obama was talking about his weak performance on the White House bowling lanes and said that it was “like the Special Olympics.”  The presidential spin machine went into overdrive immediately, knowing that what would be a forgettable flub from anyone else instantly becomes national news when it comes from the mouth of the Most Powerful Man, etc.  While we know that the president was not trying to be derogatory or cruel to people challenged by mental or physical conditions, the incident serves as a reminder of how easy it is to hurt such men, women and children with thoughtless words.

This issue hits home with us because Eva’s daughter, Marissa, was born with hemiparesis, weakness on one side of the body.  She was teased about it from a very young age, and though she has been extremely courageous in dealing with this condition and has grown into a proud and lovely young woman, it has still been hard for her and her parents to deal with the comments, the looks and the self-consciousness that comes with it.  We’ve touched on this question before, but it bears asking again: why is it so hard for us to find beauty in those who are different from the mainstream?

Of course, the irony is that we’re all different in some way.  No one is perfect.  Everyone has a blemish, a tic, a scar, a stutter—something that makes them less than ideal.  So why has the Special Olympics, one of the most admirable organizations in the world for the way in which it helps people with intellectual disabilities compete in sports, get physically fit and bolster their self-esteem, become synonymous with lack of coordination?  For that matter, why is it OK to ask someone who fails to see something obvious, “Are you blind?” when millions suffer from visual impairment?

Our view is this: we all deserve to be recognized and respected for the beauty within—the beauty of our actions.  No matter what a person’s physical or mental condition, every one walking this earth has something about them that’s beautiful, admirable and unique.  That deserves recognition, not idle, even unintentional scorn.  Some people may accuse us of making a mountain out of a molehill, but the fact that Barack Obama or anyone else can even casually (and later, regretably) toss off a comment about the Special Olympics, AIDS, deafness or any other condition tells us that deep down, we still only value physical and psychological perfection…or at least the appearance of it.  We are still shallow.  We still venerate celebrities who look flawless while exhibiting emotional problems and snicker at physically challenged individuals who exhibit compassion and kindness that humbles the rest of us.  If we’re ever to truly mature as people, that’s something that’s got to change.  And it’s something we’re going to continue to call out.

Stay beautiful,

Debi & Eva

We don’t announce most events on our blog, but this one is special: the first annual Marissa Nestor Invitational Doubles Tournament is being held on Saturday, March 9 at 9 a.m. at the La Gorce Country Club, located at 5685 Alton Road in Miami Beach, Florida.  What makes this tournament so special.  Marissa is Eva’s lovely daughter and the event is in honor of her 18th birthday

This is the listing from the website SocialMiami.com:

Sign up for a day of tennis and fun at the first ever Marissa Nestor Invitational Doubles Tournament, a fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy of South Florida. Player fees are $30 per individual and $50 per team, which includes lunch and a chance to win tickets for the Sony Ericsson Open. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the matches get underway at 10. Tennis Pro Daniel Capote will organize this kick-off tournament, an introduction to the main event that will take place November 14, also a benefit for UCP. The tournament is named in honor of Marissa Nestor, a young woman living with cerebral palsy and the daughter of UCP of South Florida board member, Dr. Eva Ritvo, who is hosting the tournament. For information about participating or sponsoring the tournament, please call or e-mail Janelle Cedeno.

Marissa was born with a condition called hemiparesis, which is a weakness on one side of the body that can be caused by cerebral palsy.  That’s why the fundraiser is for UCP.  This is also special because Eva is a huge tennis fan who has been to Wimbledon and spends a lot of her free time on the court.  So this is a chance to engage the sport she loves to both show her love for Marissa and to support a worthy cause, namely, cerebral palsy and hemiparesis research.

This is also an example of the Beauty-Brain Loop in action.  You activate your Inner Beauty because helping others makes you feel good.  You protect your Outer Beauty by wearing sunscreen and a hat, and burning calories to keep you trim.  You improve your Health with the cardiovascular exercise, and improve your Environment because you’re surrounded by friends and giving to a good cause.

To find out more about the 2009 Marissa Nestor Invitational Doubles Tournament, you can go to the Social Miami website here, or call 305-325-9018.