So, I often have many people come up to me and say
"Donna, you're incredible. All that you do and your so positive!"
Then I'm surrounded by incredible. All the Mums and Dads of children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Not to mention the friends and family that we rely on for support.
We are strong but not always. Unfortunately the mask you see when we are in public can often slip or crack. It is somewhat removed at night as we climb into bed and reapplied in the morning like makeup to start the day!
We have to be positive! We have to focus on our children, all our children. But behind the mask we are often contemplating like all parents, Are we doing the right thing? Are we offering enough normal? But are we considering the consequences of daily activities? Is he over tired from daily activities or is he beginning to struggle more? And all these considerations to some degree are felt by all parents. The pressure however that we place on ourselves when you have a child with special needs seems to just magnify those considerations.
We smile and carry on, because we strive to be normal parents! The thoughts, the strains and the struggles are always in the back of our heads, 24/7 as they say!
However I am not on my own, I know many people who have children with different needs and specialised requirements. I am beginning to see this as the new normal! Normal is having a child with special requirements. So if this is the new normal than we are creating one of the most accepted and well adjusted generation ever. We now all know someone with something! We adapt, include and appreciate those with different needs.
This is the ideal at least I like to focus on. That at least must be the reason for all of the new diagnoses that are being exclaimed daily.
We are all different and all unique and some may not be on this earth as long as others, and some may need assistance to struggle to live and appreciate all the world has to offer. But it is life! It is treasured and I (yes and you too Matthew) created the 3 little lives in my life. What a privilege to be there at the beginning! My greatest achievement ever!
