All You Need is Love

I watch - or rather listen - to the news every morning while I'm getting ready for work. One day last week, between stories of the sad state of our economy and the presidential election, something caught my attention: A story about Jesse Campbell from Choteau, Montana.

Jesse is a senior at Choteau High School, and he is the reigning Homecoming King. He scored a landslide win over the other nominees, which included four-sport athletes and some of the most popular boys in the school. The selection of a Homecoming King is a rite of passage. It happens in high schools all across America every fall. But Jesse's mother, Cathy, thought it was an experience that would never materialize for her son. Jesse has Down's Syndrome.

Several of the students who voted for Jesse were interviewed and watching them, I could not help to feel overwhelmed with pride in my fellow humans. These kids did not exude even a hint of condescension. They sincerely wanted Jesse to win. Not because they felt sorry for him, but because they really felt he deserved it. I sat on the end of my bed with tears in my eyes, wondering if as a teenager I could have been as gracious. I sincerely doubt it.



Since I saw that story