Those Times

Now that Taylor is 5, I have had a lot of days to get the hang of the new life I never imagined I'd have. Thankfully, I do not cry like I did for the first couple years and I actually get out of bed and shower (yes that was reality for me after Taylor's diagnosis). But, every now and then I still have my moments. Like last week at Taylor's gymnastics, I was watching a team of girls, the youngest being about 3, practicing their cheer routine. I had to hope no one was noticing the tears filling my eyes as I watched how these little girls stood still, they listened, even in a group setting. They did their jumps and took their spots correctly. It completely blew my mind! That was normal... my life was normal to me but, is far from it. All I could do was put on my big girl pants and know that Taylor will get there someday at her own time.

Photo Credit: Victor Moreno

Taylor has been diagnosed with ADHD as well as many other behavioral problems known for her syndrome. For her to stay still it is extremely hard and you can see she cannot help it. We like to say she bounces off the wall because literally she does and now with our new dog they are starting to bounce off me too! We struggle daily with her attention and working with her to stay focused on one task for a longer period of time. Sometimes she will get it and other times it's only seconds until she is onto something else. I have yet to learn how to keep it consistent. We have an excellent support team, between her Behavioral Pediatrician to teachers, therapists, nurses and even to some amazing members at our church who have been so helpful to implement a plan for Taylor.

It is hard at times when you see other kids her age writing their name or even sentences and it's like how??!! Is it me as a mother? Am I doing something wrong that she cannot do those things, yet? But, no that is just Taylor. Taylor will do things at her own pace, in her own time and there will be things she may never be able to do but, I do know, if I pondered on the things she cannot do, I would have puffy eyes and miss out on all the amazing things she can do like a champ!! For example, her memory is beyond incredible and the girl started swimming at 3!! Then, her ability to light up anyone she comes in contact with and just has that special touch. My favorite quote by Robert Brault says, "Enjoy the little things in life... for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." This quote changed my life when Taylor was young. I did not want her to miss out on being the best she could be because I was saddened about what she would not be able to do AND tons of the things we were told she would never do, she has done! So if we only pondered on the what if's or the things that go wrong, we will miss out on all the amazing things that go right everyday in our lives.

**A big special thanks to Jessica Gould for helping me edit! Check out her book, "Shallow Foundations" on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Shallow-Foundations-Jessica-Gould-ebook/dp/B00OWA339Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490110054&sr=8-1&keywords=jessica+gould