To the Parents who are Nothing Special

To the delightfully ordinary parents. I see you.

To the parents who are nothing special. The ones who are just your typical moms and dads. Not superheroes. Not saints. I see you.

To the parents who don’t know why they were chosen to have babies with special needs. The ones who agonize over the whys more times than they can count. I see you.

To the ones who don’t understand why people say God gives special kids to special people. Because while you know your kid is amazing…sometimes you feel like you are not. I am you.

To the parents who don’t feel qualified for this job. This level of responsibility. This level of hard. I see you.

To the parents who feel like they are on their own path. Alone. Carrying a child up a mountain. And down again. I see you.

To the parents who say ‘I’m fine’ more times than any person should. I see you.

To the parents who wake up, show up, give their all. Thank you. Thank you for being your child’s person.

To the parents who don’t understand the saying, ‘God won’t give you more than you can handle.’ Because it sure as heck feels like it’s more than one person can handle at times. I see you.

To the ones who are barely holding on. I feel you.

To the parents who say it’s hard. And talk about the hard. The ones who don’t hide. Or lie. Or fake it. But instead learn from it. And let the hard make them stronger. I see you.

To the parents that have figured it out. Or at least figured it out enough. Thank you for helping others. For supporting and lifting up. For answering a midnight text saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore. ‘And reminding them, ‘yes, you can.’

To the parents who don’t judge. Who offer a hand, dinner, a glass of wine or 15 precious minutes to shower. Or simply say, ‘I understand, it’s not fair.’ I thank you.

To the parents who never, ever give up. The ones that have found strength they didn’t know they had. The ones that operate on a level of exhaustion that most wouldn’t understand.

The ones that wear more hats in a day than most people do in a life time. Advocate, doctor, therapist, nurse, teacher and caregiver. I understand.

To the parents that don’t treat life like a competition. And know there are more ways than one to do something right. Thank you.

To the parents who inspire. Who cheer others on. Thank you.

To the parents who have lost themselves along the way. Who wonder who they are now. And who they will become. Who wonder if they are more than their child’s disability. I am you.

Thank you.

Thank you for being ordinary with me.

Thank you for being nothing special.

Thank you for being an amazing parent.

But most importantly, thank you for being on this journey with me.

To the parents like me, the ones in this secret world, I see you. And I am you.

Interested in writing for Finding Cooper’s Voice? LEARN MORE

Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.