There are so many challenges that you can face when you have a special needs child. So much so that "normal" mundane events or activities can feel like a burden that you have to find the strength to endure and persist. Shouldn't it be easier to do this or that?
Changes, even tiny ones, are difficult to bear. Detours can lead to anxiety. Anxiety can lead to meltdowns. It can be a cumbersome cycle, constantly feeding itself.
That's why the positives are so important. They can fuel you to labor on, dig deeper, and find a resilience that you didnt think was possible.
One of the best positives are when you notice the people who really get it. I mean get it. Not the "oh, you poor thing, I don't know how you do it" people. But the people who aren't afraid to say hello. To look them in the eye and give them a chance. The people who find a way to make a connection. Even though it's harder.
As I was waiting at Puzzle Pieces to pick up Officer Jacob from his after school program, I could see into one of the main hang out rooms. And what I witnessed is just the typical act of kindness that happens over and over, everyday there, for individuals with special needs.
There was a client who is a wheelchair user, and she must have wanted to help with the end of day chores. It took two staff members to assist, but that client vacuumed the floor. I could see her smile, grinning from ear to ear, having her sense of accomplishment just shine right through her expression. One staff member was managing the cord, so that it didnt get in the way, while the other was pushing the wheelchair. Every once in a while, she would need to stop to help the client hold the handle better.
Vacuuming that carpet area would have taken just one staff member a matter of minutes to complete themselves, but no. With their patience, kindness, and love, three people vacuumed that carpet. Those staff members get the importance of inclusion, of giving everyone a chance, seeing the value that everyone adds. Of looking past differences. Of finding a way instead of making an excuse.
Look for the positives. Today, I am celebrating two positives. One is witnessing this small, simple act of kindness, of inclusion. The other is that Officer Jacob wore a mask today and even earned dojo points on his first day back to school.
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