Our Kids Matter
My son has never won an award. He has never sung in a choir concert or scored the winning goal. In fact, he doesn’t even know what any of those things are.
You won’t find any of his accomplishments in a yearbook. Or on Facebook either.
And that makes me sad for him. Because he matters. He matters a lot.
I’ll admit to you that for a lot of years I didn’t celebrate. Yup, that’s the truth.
We had more hard than good.
We mostly just survived. And I focused on that.
Minute by minute, hour by hour. Thankful when we made it to the end of the day.
I would open up my phone at the end of the day to peek at Facebook or Instagram and see kids my son’s age doing all the things kids are supposed to do.
My kid didn’t do any of those things. And how does one share the success in a sound, touch, look or whatever we were working on at that time.
I’d be celebrating walking in a parking lot or 60 minutes without self injuring or a sitting for 30 seconds.
Of course I’d be proud. Ecstatic.
But I thought no one would care. Because it wasn’t what society celebrated.
I was wrong. SO WRONG.
If we don’t celebrate our kids…who will?!
Our kids deserve to it. Their successes matter.
And the thought of him being invisible, or forgotten, makes me ill.
So, if you haven’t shared anything about your kid in ages, because you feel like people won’t understand, or care, or get it, today is the day.
I want you to celebrate the things that no one else on this earth besides a special needs family would understand.
Pick one thing.
Pick the cutest picture you can find.
Text it to the grandparents, an aunt or uncle, or even a teacher. Someone who loves your kiddo as much as you do. And will celebrate with you.
I don’t care how small it is mama. It matters.
And share it on Facebook. Right now. Tag me because I want to see every single one.
Our kids matter too.
Here is mine…
Last night, Cooper went to a store with our family. He couldn’t do that a year ago! He walked and rode in the cart. He picked out a few books and movies. He waited calmly while we paid. He walked in the parking lot. After we went out for ice cream and to the car wash….which used to be Cooper’s greatest fear. But he actually requested it. And when it was done, he wanted to go again! Last night was a good night for our family. I’m a proud mama.
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.
