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Dear Parents

Lately, little things have popped up about parents of children with disabilities and I wanted to write a little something.

Dear Parents,

I see you. I see the hurt in your eyes. I see the struggle of balancing how to deal with someone who is different. I see the sadness. You got pregnant and dreamed of a beautiful life for your child. You imagined all the little steps your child would take and then boom something is different. Your world starts crashing down. You get the word from the doctor of a diagnosis. You start hearing the words your child will not or can't. You think what? How can this be? How am I going to navigate a world that is so foreign to me? Where do you even start?

Everyone wants to support you through this new journey but they just don't understand. They don't understand that your child is trying to talk to you but no words are coming out of their mouth. They don't understand that you watch your child trying to tie their shoes and they are just taking forever and you want to jump in because your running late but you know they need to do this. They need to try. Other parents don't understand that they can dream of a perfect future for their child but you are sitting their uncertain of what the future is going to hold for your child. I see your pain. I see your loneliness. I see your embarrassment. Where some days you just don't want to go out in public because you don't want to deal with the behavior or face other people staring at your child because they are different because that stare just brings all the negative feelings back. But as much as I see your pain I see...

Your strength. I see your hope. I see your love. I see your desire to be your child's number one fan. I see your hope that your child will make it in the world and defy all odds. I see that you are oh so strong and beautiful for waking up everyday and looking at your child and telling them that they are beautiful and important. I see your voice. That you are going to be that one person that will advocate for your beautiful child and you are going to be that positive person to let your child know that they are unique and have different abilities.

To all the parents of a child with any form of disability. I want you to know I see how hard this road is but because of my parents I have become a strong independent woman. Keep fighting for your beautiful child and speak words of life into that child that they are going to make a difference in this world.

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