Believing

Today's gift is believing



If you don't believe in a person, especially one who has special needs how do you expect them to be motivated? Every person who works with my daughter believes in her and if they didn't they would not be part of her team. My daughter knows if you believe in her and if you don't....she is one of the best judges when it comes to this topic. I love watching her interact with people who are working with her. I know within minutes if there is a connection or not.

School starts tomorrow!!!! Can you feel my excitement? Honestly, I will miss having the kids home during the day, but it is time for them to go back to school. Summer could always be shortened by two weeks...this is when my kids start to get really bored and more disagreements happen. Today my kids were all off their rocker....even my son and he doesn't start pre-k till Friday! I always know the day and night before the first day of school!

My daughters are super excited to start school especially my oldest. Ever time I mention school, her friends, her teachers....she gets the biggest smile on her face. Since "meet the teacher" day she has been flipping the pages in her yearbook nonstop. She loves school, she loves the people and she loves learning. I firmly believe the reason she loves school so much is because everyone she encounters there believes in her!

They see how hard she works and how hard she tries...and she never gives up! Her friends believing in her is one of her biggest reinforcers too! And her teacher who has been by her side for years is the biggest believer in her...she helps others see the best in my daughter and why they should believe!

Of course when my daughter was first diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, I had lots of doubts, but as time passed I realized if there is a will, there is a way. Sure she can not ride a bike like her friends....she can not read chapter books....and she can can not type a report on the computer. But she can ride a modified bike, she can read on a level comfortable for her and she can type real words she as learned on a computer keyboard! Did I think this would be possible 5 years ago...no way. Did I think we would be able to modify reading or typing for her...no. But I (we) never stopped believing in her. Every year she amazes me in what she knows and learns!

Yesterday was her 11th birthday and for the second year in a row she blew out her birthday candles! The first time she ever blew out her candles was on her 4th birthday and then she didn't do it again till her 10th birthday...6 years later. In these 6 years we never stopped believing and always tried to get her to blow out candles...to no avail. However, before her birthday last year a close friend of ours would make this bubble sound noise to her which produced a blowing sound and motion. She thought it was so funny when he would do this and she tried to imitate him. Immediately we caught on to this and kept doing this sound often to help her try to imitate the blowing motion we all can do. Last year when it was time for her to blow out her birthday candle, we said "what does Mr. C do" and she did the blowing motion and blew her candle out...her one big candle...the number 10! It was one of those moments we will never forget. Due to us believing in her and not giving up on her, she was able to blow out 2 candles yesterday to represent turning 11!

I can only wonder what she wished for...I know what my wish is for her. She has taught me to never give up believing in her...and I never will. But her gift has also taught me to believe in myself....as there are many days I have doubt...and when those days come I just think of a little girl who believes in me to help her.

Here are some quotes for today...

Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true - Unknown

Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail- Charles F. Kettering

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be- George Sheehan

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