Tuesday, July 14, 2015

On being a special needs parent...

You are walking in a quiet wood. It is morning with a mild breeze. You dip your cup into the stream ...

An arrow sinks deep into the earth by your left foot. You leap forward, in mid-air notch an arrow and let fly on landing where you know your assailant will be. There are 3 of them, rested and deadly. The battle is joined.

The quiet returns. You dip your cup into the stream. You are always ready...

E prefers to think of this as akido, always equipoised to redirect the attack. I like ninja myself, cause I’m a guy.

It’s like that. You never know when a crisis will strike. When an innocent question will suddenly become a 30 minute negotiation. It’s like parenting a difficult 14yo, but it’s more and it lasts for decades.

No wonder studies show accelerated aging in special needs parents (though some of that may be financial distress related to cost of parenting special needs kids and adults).

On the up side, one never lacks a cause.

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