Like A Sailboat

Parenting a child with complex special needs comes with a whole lot of questions – questions that almost never come with straightforward answers.

Will he ever walk?
Why doesn’t he eat by mouth?
How much can he see?
Will he need another surgery?

We, as a society, consider a happy life to be one without struggle. We want problems to be easily fixed, and challenges to be dealt with, categorized, and forgotten.

Ongoing trials, like our son’s, are not so easily packaged; they are the forever-kind, the always-evolving kind. And yet, he shows us time and again that happiness is not contingent solely on circumstance. He radiates joy, affection, and silliness, whether bed-ridden, fully casted, or feeling great.

What I’ve learned about living with more questions than answers, is that you eventually develop a deeper trust in yourself and your ability to adapt.

Amidst daily uncertainty, there is one thing parents of children with special needs know for sure: a life with challenge can also be rife with blessings. And these blessings become more apparent as you let go of what you expected, and learn to fully embrace what you’ve been given.

I can drown in the questions, or I choose to sail in the direction of our next right step. I can worry about where we’re headed, or I can trust that we’ll ultimately end up right where we’re meant to be.