I always thought it would be easy to be a mom. Maybe my mom made it look easy….maybe we all make it look easy, keeping the trouble to ourselves and making sure our kids get the best of us.
There have been easy parts. For me, giving birth was easy. I am grateful for this, because I know my own birth nearly killed my mom, and my sister Carrie has braved 4 (with one upcoming) C-sections. But for me, giving birth was a cinch. Pop ’em out and go home. No drugs, no fuss, no problem. I recognize the blessing in this.
Easy for me is giving up stuff so the kids can have more. Giving up time and money and freedom. I’m good with that.
Easy is kissing babies and hugging big kids and watching them grow into adulthood.
Hard. Watching them struggle through bad choices and bad situations. Hard. Watching them wave goodbye. Whether it’s the first day of kindergarten or the first day of a two-year mission.
Hard. Having Tim.
A friend (thanks Naquai!) gave me this article. Although I’m the mom of a child with special needs, I know I’m not the only mom struggling through this. I recognize there are moms with children far worse off than my little Tim, with devastating conditions and illnesses. But this article touched me, and I’m anxious to share it with you
Came from a blog called Love That Max and was printed in this month’s issue of All You magazine.
Top 20 Reasons Moms of Kids With Special Needs ROCK
1. Because we never thought that “doing it all” would mean doing this much. But we do it all, and then some.
2. Because we’ve discovered patience we never knew we had.
3. Because we are willing to do something 10 times, 100 times, 1,000 times if that’s what it takes for our kids to learn something new.
4. Because we have heard doctors tell us the worst, and we’ve refused to believe them. TAKE THAT, nay-saying doctors of the world.
5. Because we have bad days and breakdowns and bawl-fests, and then we pick ourselves up and keep right on going.
6. Because we gracefully handle the stares, the comments, the rude remarks. Well, mostly gracefully.
7. Because we manage to get ourselves together and get out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, we even make sweatpants look good.
8. Because we are strong. Man, are we strong. Who knew we could be this strong?
9. Because we aren’t just moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work. We are moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, researchers, nurses, coaches, and cheerleaders. Whew.
10. Because we work overtime every single day.
11. Because we also worry overtime, but we work it through. Or we eat chocolate or Pirate’s Booty or gourmet cheese, which aren’t reimbursable by insurance as mental-health necessities but should be.
12. Because we are more selfless than other moms. Our kids need us more.
13. Because we give our kids with special needs endless love, and then we still have so much love left for our other kids, our husbands, our family. And our hairstylist, of course.
14. Because we inspire one another in this crazy blogosphere every single day.
15. Because we understand our kids better than anyone else—even if they can’t talk, even if they can’t gesture, even if they can’t look us in the eye. We know. We just know.
16. Because we never stop pushing for our kids.
17. Because we never stop hoping for them, either.
18. Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they’re suddenly not OK, but we deal. Somehow, we always deal, even when it seems like our heads or hearts might explode.
19. Because when we look at our kids we just see great kids. Not “kids with cerebral palsy/autism/Down syndrome/developmental delays/whatever label.”
20. Because, well, you tell me.
p.s. This is my Tim eating his favorite food, spaghetti!♥
I am in awe. Seriously. Props and prayers to you and all the other super moms out there!!