Skip to main content
Dear Self,
It's okay that you are anxious right now. You are scared, and you want to do all the things the right way. You're doing okay. Yes, these days seem long and the information is overwhelming. Embrace it. Give that new diagnosis a big hug, and remind yourself to take life on in the same way your sweet little one does. Arms wide open, eyes wide, heart full. Be confident in your ability to trust your own judgement. Remind yourself that these moments will pass all too quickly. 

What I just wrote is what I try and tell myself every day. I need these reminders. As a parent of a toddler with multiple different developmental concerns and deficits, I get caught up in the scary web I weave with the threat of anxiety. I want to do what is right, help her overcome all the obstacles in her path. I want to fight right next to her as she learns new skills, re-learns other ones, and conquers these mountains. 

Our current mountains include continued physical developmental delays, sensory processing deficits, eye issues with convergence, Epilepsy, and now the latest mountain is dysphagia with delayed swallow and some oral motor issues. These things make up the valleys in the mountains - but the peaks - the peaks are made of little girl laughs, sweet high fives, hugs, pretend play with puppies and baby dolls. The peaks are amazing, and the valleys are survivable with a team of people to lead us out. 

So I tell myself again... "Look up, find the sun, focus on the smile that little girl shows you, and breath. As cliche as it is, it is going to be okay."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back to Blogging - Update Post

So much time has passed since I last blogged but I feel the calling. I need a place to record thoughts, to share ideas, and to seek solace in self-expression. So I am back. I don't know where this blog will go, or what direction it will take but most likely it will evolve into stories of my day to day life with our adopted daughter, stories from my classroom, and tall tales of silly life events. In the months that I have been gone I have gained a toddler that has replaced my tiny baby. This toddler is adventurous and fearless. She seeks out endless activities and is never stopped by anything. This child has a free spirit and nothing can contain her (not even the baby gates any more). So I'll complete today's post with a summary of where we have been, and where we are going. Our adoption of love bug is still not complete, not due to anything more than timelines, paperwork, and medical issues. Little one was diagnosed with Epilepsy at 7 months old, and while it is mil...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Adventures

I have recently taken the position of Director of Children and Youth Education (or some other convoluted title that seems to keep changing) at our Church . Our church is a fabulous one (check it out here) in uptown Charlotte. We have 3 main focuses, Purse Justice, Practice Inclusion, and Promote the Arts and we truly try and live out our focuses in the ministries that the church supports.  The next big thing we are involved with is Charlotte Pride.With that I became intent on providing some of our families with resources for talking about other types of families. I did a quick Google search and came up empty handed outside of a few references to books that are considered diverse, and the occasional blog post. It was amazing to me however to find that there were plenty of seriously not-loving articles on how to talk to your children about  "gay people". This baffles me, for so many of them were filled with inaccurate information and hateful words. Jesus came into this world...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ramblings of a Phoenix in Flight

I spend my day navigating crisis after crisis. I put out fires and extinguish embers.  I stoke imaginations and plead with brains to process the plethora of information I throw at them.  I attempt to impress upon my students the importance of caring for others, and making a positive impact upon the world.  I am a mother, and a father. I am the one they choose to hate, and the one they also choose to love.  I am a fighter, I will not give up. I am a believer; I want to watch them succeed.  I am a caregiver for small cuts and products of broken homes.  I walk the line to do what is right for my students while doing what the lawmaker says I must do.  I balance a life full of hope and promise with their life of more hardships that I will ever experience in my lifetime.  I choose my battles, but there are none I won't consider.  I am a Teacher, hear me roar.  I am a Morgan School Phoenix, watch me soar.
Post a Comment
Read more