Looking through the photo albums allowed me to see the growth in my boys. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
But, for a parent—especially those of children with disabilities—every picture is a short story woven into the tapestry of a life with highs, lows, triumphs and losses that is love’s journey. Every photo tells a story of them. A story of us.
Taking the time to think about my boys’ stories made me transition from my trepidation about leaving a place to remembering the people I’ve met and befriended over the years. Thanks to them at almost forty-years old, I grew up a little more. The experiences I’ve had with people had made me a better mom. A better wife. A better writer. A better me.
A strange thing happens when we parent. The lessons we teach our children become the lives we live.
Makasha Dorsey is a freelance writer, blogger and communications consultant. The wife and mom of two is a lifestyle blogger at MakashaDorsey.com, covering parenting, marriage, food, travel and books while offering tips, tools, and inspiration for the woman in progress.
It makes us that much more aware of our own shortcomings, as well as our successes. I had become as attached to places as much as my son was attached to his things. We worked so hard to help him learn to share, manage his olfactory responses and find healthy foods that he could eat. We worked with him so that he could build lasting relationships with his peers.
Being willing to let go of our cherished things and move away from perfect places allows us to enjoy what matters most: the people on the journey with us and those we meet along the way. When I look back over my life, I’m sure I will remember the two years I lived in Florida. But it won’t be because of the palm trees, amusement parks or beaches. It will be because of the experiences I had with the people here.
It took seeing the growth of my boys to make me understand what matters. And, it can be summed up into one word. People.
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