Alternate title: Our World is Different, and Sometimes I Don’t Even Realize It. Using “bizarro” in the title of this post probably sounds a little creepshow/nightmarish, but never fear! It’s actually about perspective. Right after I posted the video of Sarah Kate’s progress toward walking (and maybe one day running – fingers crossed), I was at a friend’s house with a few other gal pals. My friend, who is my next door neighbor and has a daughter the same age as Sarah Kate, was talking about the video and told me how it had never occurred to her that Sarah Kate had to go through all of that just to learn to walk. We’ve lived here in Mayberry for about two years, but it never occurred to me that people wouldn’t know that learning to walk was a lengthy, difficult process for her.
A short time later, another friend who was there was telling me that she had shared this blog with someone she knew. The lady made a comment to the effect of what a special person I must be, to which my friend responded that indeed, I am NOT special, but just a regular mom and that it makes me mad for people to say things like that. Okay, so it doesn’t really make me mad, per se (because, really, who doesn’t want to think they are special, LOL!), but I was proud that she stood up for me and other moms of kids with special needs. And she knew to do that because…I had shared that sentiment before in my blog.
I started this blog mainly because I needed a personal outlet. I have always enjoyed writing (despite my former career as an electrical engineer – yes, really) and putting pen to paper (or keyboard to screen in this case) helps me to process my thoughts and “own them”. Writing, like running, is one of the things that keeps me grounded (and sane, although that may be debatable). What I started thinking about, though, is that my blog can also be used to educate my friends, family, and a few strangers. My sister told me that she recently shared my blog with a lady that she knew, who said she was going to pass it along to someone that she felt “really needs to read this right now”. I have no idea who that person is or what her life challenges are, but if she gets even a little bit of encouragement from my words then I’m thrilled.
