Sometimes you have to tell your kid he's not so special

Fish Food 2.5" x 3.5" mini ACEO Watercolor

We had a talk with Jimmy the other day. We were worried that he was getting a little spoiled. It went something like this:

Dad said "Jimmy, you aren't more important than other children"
"Yes I am, I had a Brain Tumor" Replied Jimmy.
"But, that does not mean you're special"
Jimmy said "Barney says everyone is special"
I explained "Being important comes from what you do, not from what happens to you."

What we are trying to tell Jimmy is that simply because he had a brain tumor and is "visually impaired" he can't expect that he should be treated any different than anyone else. He should not expect to work any less at life, actually he will probably have to work harder. I remember right after we were first told that Jimmy was legally blind I received a letter from my little brother who is deaf. He wrote "Don't ever treat him like he has a handicap, don't let anyone treat him differently, don't let him use it as a crutch."

The problem is actually Jimmy is special, he has been through some really hard stuff, he is incredible brave, strong and tough. And yet he is always cheerful and happy, we just want to keep him that way.