Special People
There is one phrase I am absolutely sick of, so please don’t ever say this to me: special parents are given special children.
I am impatient, selfish, stubborn, forgetful, lazy at times, and socially awkward. Blogs are great for hiding social awkwardness. I am a good mom, but I would never think I have enough within me to precipitate the boldness of asking for a child who needs someone “special.” Children with special needs are unique gifts. They will destroy any preconceived ideas of what you thought parenting would be like, and force you to reshape your world into one that includes them as a prominent role, if not the main role. Many parents are not able to support their needs, which may be why there are so many in foster care. But when you decide that you can accept and commit to these gifts, in turn you become more sensitive; to every other child, to every other unique story, and to every time that these children are asked to fight more than their fair share. I felt incredibly clumsy and inept with my gift for about a year, but I have gleaned strength in God, in my family, in my friends, and in my children. By grace, Zoey is thriving as she faces her third birthday, and I pray she continues to laugh in the face of her battles. But I am not a special parent who earned a special child. It doesn’t work that way!!! Rather, it is because Zoey is an amazing little girl that I have anything special in my parenting. Please don’t credit me for receiving a gift that has been far beyond my control.