Special Needs Parenting: What "Typical" Parents Should Know

I read an article yesterday in the Huffington Post about a special needs parent sharing her thoughts on 7 Things You Don't Know About A Special Needs Parent.  She hit the  nail right on the head! As a special needs parent, I can sympathize with feeling tired, jealous, alone, scared, people's comments, being human and wanting to but not wanting to talk about our child and his/her condition. The one thing I would add to this is feeling guilty, especially if you have other "typical" children.


 I have felt guilty for feeling the sigh of relief knowing that I will not be dealing with any challenges other than typical age appropriate issues. Then I feel guilty for feeling guilty!  I remember giving birth to my little one last year and the first time I rolled him over, I cried.  I cried hard for two reasons: 1. I felt relief. He did not have a scar on his lower back  2.  the guilt of reason #1.  I love both my boys and would do anything for them. There's nothing I won't do for my cubs.  But these feelings are real.  They are feelings that I must cope with, make peace with, mourn at times and let go.  


I have come to terms that living in Holland (Poem Welcome to Holland)  isn't so horrible. The pace is a little slower here. Some days it feels like Groundhog's Day - on repeat. But I've learned to love the day-to-day, taking time to smell the roses, enjoying each smile and laughter. I do crave and long for "normalcy", but this is my norm.  Seeing the world through my son's eyes brings me great joy. 
Location: New York, NY, USA

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