Are you scrounging for thankfulness this holiday season? Holidays can be a challenge for those walking through hard days. Perhaps you feel like you've been handed the short-end of the stick; your child is struggling, you’re exhausted and it seems like everybody else has life with a bit more gravy. It’s easy to focus on our circumstances, take stock of what we have and where we are and end up feeling completely void of thankfulness. Is there a cure for this?
I first suspected I had ADHD as a teenager, but finding the right professional to take me seriously was much harder than I expected. Previous attempts only ended in frustration and tears.
Enjoying the holidays with a food allergy sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? After all, eating together is an integral component of the holiday season. I looked forward to making our traditional holiday foods until I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy in 2012. What was to enjoy about the holidays when the foods associated with it were off limits to me?
It was a short, ten-minute drive from the hotel to the residential facility. I maintained composure while I navigated the busy public roads, and then residential streets. I had a whole range of emotions racing through my body, mind and spirit as we pulled into the campus. This was not just a pleasure drive or a routine errand, this was a significant milestone in the life of my son and our family.
While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety-inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that. If we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, children with special needs can safely join in the fun, too. So what are some of the things about Halloween that children with additional needs can find hard?
I would like to drive up to some magical office building and order into a speaker, “Yes, I’d like to order an easy day for my family please.” Then my daughter, if only for a day, would have a fully functioning heart and lungs. Many healed in the Bible, while healed in a moment, suffered for long before. This gives me hope to press on another day, and to keep praying for the Lord and His healing.
The first time the engine-shaped glowing light appeared on my car’s display, I took notice. But over time, I learned to ignore the light all together, until my car suddenly needed a new transmission. Parenting a child with special and medical needs has triggered all sorts of “warning lights” in my brain and body. Here’s how I learned to deal with these warning lights in healthy ways.
Through all the unexpected twists on my motherhood journey, I am grateful for my relationship with God. I have needed wisdom and help that cannot be found in friends, articles, or books. My relationship with God has been vital in keeping me focused and able to face each new challenge while rearing my daughter with special needs.
As soon as I woke up, my body revolted. My hip somehow fell out of place again, making each movement painful. It’s a bizarre situation for a caregiver to find herself in. I am not supposed to be the one who needs help. For me, caring and giving happens regardless of how I feel. As Jaycee grows, I see now how we can help each other.
