Someone wrote this in response to a young mother's question on a CHASA (Children's hemiplegic and stroke association) Facebook support group that I absolutely love.
I love what this person wrote and wanted to keep it.
A few quick thoughts. Our little guy (RH) is now 8. The myriad of emotions that we have felt in the last 8 years are indescribable. We have gone from total despair to unlimited hope. We have blamed ourselves and we have recognized that we can't, only to return to blame ourselves again. We have never felt more weight as parents and we have never felt more joy as parents. Here's my point: Having a child with a disability is to be exposed to pure love in its raw and unmitigated form. To love someone so much that their struggles literally hurt you. To care for someone so much that all of your desires take a back seat to theirs. To desire happiness for someone so much that their success is continually on your mind. That's a gift (albeit, sometimes a miserable gift). We're all learning how to love purely and how to give entirely. Isn't that at least one of life's purposes? I think that I can also safely say that your little baby is going to surprise you and exceed your expectations over and over again. These kids have a fire within them that is like nothing you will have ever seen. It's inspiring to witness. It's so hard and so rewarding all at the same time. "That which we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." You are a young mom
who has learned at a young age to love entirely. Your baby is lucky to have you.
This is so touching, so thoughtful, so true.
ReplyDelete