It's the life of a parent raising a child with special needs -- endless waiting. After we wait in great expectation for the arrival of our child, whether by birth or adoption, we begin the journey trying to figure out why something doesn't seem quite right. It can be glaringly apparent or something just subtly "off" that we notice. We wait for a diagnosis... Once we have some idea what we … [Read more...]
NOT GUILTY!
“If only I had taken better care of myself during pregnancy…” “I know I’m tired, but I really need to do more for my kids.” “Why didn’t I push that doctor harder for answers?” “If I could just get more organized, maybe I could spend more time helping my child with therapies at home.” “I’m such a bad mom for not enrolling my child in more activities.” If you have ever entertained thoughts … [Read more...]
“I Don’t Know How You Do It!”
Face it. We parents of children with special needs could be independently wealthy if we had a dollar for every silly remark we hear from others. Comments range from well-intentioned and misinformed to downright rude. But after any length of time, every parent raising a child with unique abilities will inevitably hear, “I don’t know how you do it!” I’m never certain how to take that comment. … [Read more...]
It IS a Wonderful Life!
It’s my birthday. Please keep the spankings and jokes about looking down the barrel of 50 to a minimum. I have no idea what you are like when your birthday arrives, but with every passing year I find myself increasingly reflective. I can’t help but look back at years past assessing my life, wondering if this is where I thought I might be at this road marker. Am I the woman God made me to be? … [Read more...]
Entitled
Life seems so incredibly unfair at times, doesn't it? Few things seem as unjust as an innocent child suffering. I, for one, would rather endure any awful pain in the place of my children. It's easy to wonder what we as parents can do to make up for all the hurt our children with special needs endure. After all, we as humans have a tendency to want to even the scales when life seems a bit … [Read more...]
Crushed
There are so many things about my faith life that took on deep and new meaning when I became the mother of a child with special needs. The time leading to Easter always offers the opportunity to contemplate the life of Jesus in richer, more profound ways. Even in the busy-ness of raising an “extra-grace-required” children, these days bring to mind stories of Palm Sunday, driving out the … [Read more...]