A dear friend sent this to me

[Guest guest]

And I so need to hear it. I suppose some of y'all might need to hear it too.June 5, 2012dear youFiled under: Uncategorized — by jess @ 5:36 am Tags: a note to special needs parents, alysia, autism, dear you,extreme parenthood, oxygen mask project, spd blogger network, special needs parenting, sunday, try defying gravityYeah, you~Dear Friends With Special Needs Kids,I have something to tell you. And I’m thinking that you don’t hear it enough. So come closer and pay attention, OK? This is important.YOU ROCK.Yes, you.Why are you still looking at everybody else in the room?I’m talking to YOU.And no, I don’t mean that you deserve a medal just for parenting your kid. That’s what parents do. We parent. Our kids. So yay, for you cause you stuck around? Hell no.And I don’t mean to imply that I’m offering sympathy because your path is different – and likely more difficult – than most. It is what it is. And I’m not much for sympathy.What I do mean is that you rock because of the WAY that you parent your kid. And the WAY that you choose to walk this path.You rock because you involuntarily calculate the thousand different variables in every situation and adjust for them on the fly. Because you are alert for the danger, the triggers, the anything, the everything that might turn everything on a dime. Twenty, thirty, hundreds of times a day. Navy Seals have nothing on you, kid.You rock because you spend so damn much time preparing for what look to the world like tiny, insignificant moments. Because you know that there are no such things as tiny, insignificant moments.You rock because you show your child patience even when you feel nothing of the sort.You rock because you create a hard shell for the world, but remain tender for your child.You rock because you have learned another language. Or two. Heck, you even speak Abbreviate – ASD, IEP, DSM, ADHD, ABA, BCBA, BT, RDI, GFCF, ADOS. See?You rock because you SEE miracles in your child’s smallest victories. Because you celebrate simple successes. Because you know how hard they are won.You rock because you look out for each other. Because you treat every child as if he were your own. Because you know that it really does take a village to raise a child.You rock because you appreciate the people who make up that village. Because you see God’s angels along your path – and recognize them for who they are. And tell them how much they matter.You rock because you don’t ever stop pushing and encouraging and expecting and demanding and believing and celebrating.You rock because you know how important it is to take time for YOU.You rock because you refuse to let anyone define your child by his challenges. Because you know there is so much more to who he is than a label.You rock because you’re not afraid of the label. Because you know that as hard as it may have been to hear, it will be the key to a community for your child.You rock because you are a different kind of parent. Because your know that just because your child doesn’t have words, that sure as hell doesn’t mean she’s not communicating.You rock because you do everything you possibly can to figure out what it is that she’s saying.You rock because when a doctor says, “It’s never been done before,” you hear, “Good, it’s possible.”You rock because when you get angry, you use the anger to propel you forward. To make waves. To create change. To make life better for your child.You rock because you refuse to accept complacency – from anyone.You rock because you talk. Because you change hearts and minds and laws.You rock because you’re not afraid to think big – really big when it comes to your kids. If programs don’t exist, you will create them. If the system doesn’t work, you will change it.You rock because you never forget to think small. If people around you don’t understand, you talk to them. Teach them.You rock because you raise your so-called typical children to know that typical is an illusion and compassion is everything.You rock because you know that EVERYONE has something to contribute in their own way. And because you know it’s worth everything we have to ensure they can.You rock because you respect one another – even when you disagree.You rock because you seek the advice of those who have come closest to sharing your child’s path. Because you never, ever drown their voices out of the conversation. Because you know how vital their perspective is. Because you know that this IS a conversation.You rock because you give your child the space to fail – giving them the ability to succeed.You rock because you function on ludicrously little sleep.You rock because even when you wake up convinced that you can’t, you do.