Little Man & Big Deal -- SALUTE!

In the MTR station a few months ago, I met a group of mentally retarded children, led by adults who I believed were their parents. Such a picture let me think of an episode in the past; I had to pass by a road junction on my way every day, and there was always about once a week the opportunity to see the same scene:

A gray-haired old lady, accompanying a young woman, presumably her daughter, who appeared to be approximately 30 to 40 years old. I felt she was mentally retarded. They might be waiting for the transportation offered by a kind of social organization.
Her daughter's face always appeared with silly smiles, and her elderly mother looked totally bewildered, tired. The old mother's forearms revealed under the sleeves deeply impressed me. The muscles must have gained from intensive chores, and seemed to tell others that at that old age she had to be strongly-built enough to take care of her stout daughter day in day out, no matter whether it was rainy or sunny.

Although she would be willing to do so as a parent's duty, but the time to fulfill the duty seemed much longer than most people, and the task was much more difficult!
Almost every day, her silver hair spread freely as if uncombed, the buttons near her neck were not tightened, her sleeves were scrolled up, and the perplexity on her face told how tired she was!

The scene was more or less the same for quite a long time, and then I couldn't see them any more.

I have seen some mentally retarded children behave so inappropriately in the street that their parents are embarrassed.
But most of them had patience and a lot of experiences to try to make things right for the situation.
I thought if I were in the position, it would not be easy to respond properly. Taking care of those children would not be a temporary job.In the long run, the same situation would repeat itself perpetually, so determinations, love, patience, are indispensable.

Every time in the street, for these great parents, I would give hearts of ... SALUTE!

From Simon.del.mondo
Translated by Tameer

(Drawing of "SALUTE!" from Simon C.T.W.)