The parenting journey is never easy. There is always a new challenge to be faced or a new question to be answered. The experience is full of ups and downs; to say otherwise would be dishonest.
My munchkin is facing his own journey through school and karate. There are tears sometimes, and giggles most of the time. I wish I had his level of energy and pep… There’s no other way to describe his personality: He is just peppy.
His capacity to absorb information is amazing! His inquisitive nature is incessant. The munchkin is a constant reminder that I need to cultivate patience, both with him and with myself.
To say that I don’t get frustrated with my body would be a lie. Adapting is a process, and it’s not always easy. Increased muscle tone can be painful and very difficult for a child to understand. My son has been very patient with his mommy, though… I can honestly say he rolls with the punches better than me.
We make quite a team, he and I. He keeps me on my toes with his perceptive ways. He asks me why places aren’t as accessible as they should be. The munchkin has become a six-year-old advocate. I write this with pride, humor, and a bit of heartbreak because the journey has just started for disabled parents and their families. We must be willing to roll with the punches for a while longer — until we are seen as fully capable individuals who happen to be parents.
I take comfort in the fact that my faith is unshakeable that change will come. I will continue to teach my son to persevere until – and after – that day comes. It’s easy to forget that change, whether good or bad is a continuous process. We must nurture change like a plant that needs to grow. Sometimes, it takes rolling with the punches a little more than we’d like to get our point across, but if we don’t take a stand for our rights, who will?
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