Another Glimpse into Her World and Ours

In my last post my husband and I shared our thoughts on our daughter and her many limits.  The replies we received amazed us.  Many of them left me thoughtful.

I realized I still had a lot to express, so I’m continuing the topic.  This post incorporates some of my replies to your comments along with other thoughts that have been on my mind.

Before I go much further, let me first say thank-you for the heartfelt replies.  Your support and warmth were quite evident and even overwhelming.

In my prior post, you met my daughter who delights us and challenges us. You also learned she has numerous limits.

Our daughter received this Hawaiian floral print hat several years ago. It has since become her favorite. She wears it inside the house every day. It’s part of her routine and it makes her happy when she’s wearing it.

Yes, we’re a very happy family. Still, our lives are far from perfect. Some days it seems we’re on the ground looking up at a big hill…and it’s not always easy to climb. Still, the three of us get through challenges together.

What I can say is, we’ve learned over the years to roll with the ups and downs that are bound to occur. For example, in the very near future our daughter will experience an annual medical test.  The day will be stressful (let me be clear that this is quite the understatement).  Al and I have already been talking about the best way to prepare in order to make the day easier.  We know what to expect and we have to be ready.

Dad and daughter share a quiet moment. For many years our daughter carried these cylindrical pool toys, or straws wherever she went. She eventually gave them up but we couldn’t say why.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is that each of us has limits.

This means letting go of various trappings.  Al manages the household and does a great job.  He gets our daughter where she needs to be.  I work outside the home.  I am able to do what I do because Al does what he does.  We had to pursue our strengths and let our better half manage the areas where we have our limits.

Al is the cook, butler, driver, messaging service, laundry servicer, body-guard and all round good guy!

We’ve  met many incredible people who have supported us, too many to name!

We have become fast friends with many people who provided services to us. By going to the salon to have her hair and her nails done, our daughter has learned to be patient during appointments, and, also to be more social. We couldn’t have done this without you!

We’ve met many other families who are in similar situations.  They are also in need of support.

It’s as if there is a hidden population in our society. In general people with limits are often not heard. It is not glamorous or “out there” for people to acknowledge. This is the reality that many families

These are generic picture images that are often used in classrooms and with special tools for communications. One important thing to considered is that there may be real people represented by these symbols.

We’ve also learned to recognize and celebrate small victories whenever they occur.

Our daughter was slowly stepping into a pool to get ready for a swimming lesson. She was excited to be there and she let us know it!

I’m glad that my post allowed a peak into a world that many people don’t often see.

We don’t have a clue why the bananas needed to be set straight. Still, I’m sure that our daughter took care of whatever was out of place!

I wrote this post under the tag B4PEACE so it would show as part of Bloggers for Peace.

In addition to showing an example of peace and love within a family, I also want people to realize that one of the elements of a peaceful environment is tolerance…and special needs individuals can teach us so much about this.

A peaceful, happy home. It doesn’t get much better than that!

At one point when I was typing a long reply I was barely able to hear anything because my two housemates were in the midst of a fit of laughter.  I’m typically the quiet one of the bunch.  I was happy to just watch and revel in the moment.

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To read more about my daughter please see my page entitled “Special Needs.”

To find out more about Bloggers for Peace, click the badge!

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