November 19, 2025
Am I enough?
I wake her every morning
to begin a brand new day.
I sit beside her,
asking questions,
slowing her steps,
listening to her read,
guiding her through mistakes,
celebrating every victory.
I nudge her past her comfort zone,
toward chores, and cooking, and cleaning.
I set alarms, build routines,
help her move from one moment
to the next.
I give her her meds,
teach her how to care for herself,
walk the thin line
between her independence
and the dangers she cannot see.
I place her sensory tools close,
soft lifelines
for when her own body
turns against her.
And still I ask myself,
Am I enough?
I am her mother,
her teacher,
her nurse,
her therapist,
her friend.
I am all she has
day after day.
She deserves a world
that understands her,
but we do not live in that world.
So I shape what I can,
make it gentler,
safer,
a place she can navigate
with as much strength
as she can gather.
The years are rushing forward now.
She grows into a young woman,
and I grow older,
quicker than I wish.
And so the question stays with me,
soft and heavy,
settling into the quiet hours:
Am I enough?
Written by Laura Simzyk of Olivia’s Extraordinary Journey
