Because of Mary
Often our blogs are about the unique challenges we face as parents of children with special needs. Although we acknowledge that there are indeed multiple challenges in raising our children, we also know that our lives have been forever changed, in a good way, - because of Mary. We know of many individuals who have chosen a profession as a special education teacher, director of therapeutic horseback riding or in the medical field – because of Mary. A Day Program serving over 30 individuals with special needs was birthed in our area 4 years ago, in part – because of [...]
“Lord, I can’t do this!”
“Lord, I can’t do this!”. I don’t know how many times I have stood in my kitchen (or bedroom, or wherever) and have uttered these words. Perhaps it was when Mary had a meltdown in public or I had to clean up a mess she had made or when someone said something hurtful or dismissive to her. I’m sure that sometimes, it was just an emotional reaction to something I didn’t want to do. But there were times when it was a literal statement, “This is beyond me, Lord. I can’t do this!” Have you ever felt that way? Two [...]
Adjusting our Perspective
We haven’t written our blog in the last few weeks as we were in China. We toured the country and visited our daughter, Emily, who lives and works in China. No matter how often we have said the words “our daughter lives and works in China” (and she has been there 3 years!), it is still hard to believe. She lives in a working-class city in inland China … and from what we can tell, where almost no one speaks English! We are very proud of her and the work she is doing, but have to admit that living in [...]
Tough Decisions
Parents of children with special needs are often faced with making difficult decisions: What type of a school should my child attend, should we try this new medical procedure, should we take advantage of specialized training even though it is far from home? The reason some of these decisions are so difficult is that these decisions are quite unique to each individual family … and of course there aren’t guidebooks specific to each decision. For us, a big decision was, “Do we allow Mary to enter a group home living situation?”. Mary lived at home with us until her mid [...]
Reclaiming your Hope
Perhaps one of the greatest casualties that result from a difficult life situation is the loss of HOPE. Hope is a powerful force. According to the book of Psalms, strength and courage come from hope. Hope keeps us going, growing, dreaming and loving. A loss of hope is a great loss. We remember back when Mary was little and her prognosis was overwhelming, we were very short on hope. At that time, someone gave us the verse, Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and give you peace, plans to [...]
Celebrate at “Night to Shine”!
One of our kids (not sure which one) used to have a t-shirt that said “Believe there is Good in the World”! I think it is important to both believe there is good in the world and to BE the good in the world. Sometimes, with all that is in the news lately, it is hard to always see the good that is out there. We’d like to encourage you by sharing an incredible example of “Good in the World”, especially for those of us who are parenting a child with special needs. A wonderful event is happening literally around [...]