The SpecialMoms Parenting Magazine 2nd Issue | Page 9

The Power of Yet

The Power of

YET

>>>>Lara Molettiere

S

o there’s this moment when your heart
skips a beat and you literally can’t
breathe when you are told your child
is not “perfect”. Receiving a diagnosis,
even when you know there is an issue is hard
because now this “Challenge” has a name. Your
wonderful, amazing, blessing from above is
not what you were expecting. That picture you
had in your head of your child and their life is
suddenly shattered. The bicycle riding, the
incredible sweet bedtime conversations with
your 2 year old, the birthday parties, the carefree
days and typical milestone expectations. Gone,
just like that. The real beauty of the special
needs community is that no matter what your
child’s needs may be or how severe they are, we
all know that any “diagnosis” causes the parent
grief. Because it’s medical.

We can’t change it, we
can’t “fix” it, we can’t take it
away and give that perfect
picture back to our child or
to our self.
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We understand that it causes pain and anger
and frustration. Be it Autism, Down Syndrome,
Celiac, Apraxia, Diabetes, CP, APD or whatever
set of initials, it means things must change. Diet,
therapy appointments, doctor visits, learning
an alternate form of communication, finding a
support group for them and for you, and dealing
with a “new” normal for your family. It causes
stressed emotions and relationships and it is
downright lonely. Especially at first.

After you go through the stages of
grief and begin to settle in, you slowly
begin to understand the power of yet.

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A conjunction that holds the future. Yet is defined
“But at the same time; but nevertheless”. My
child can’t walk yet. My child can’t speak yet. My
child can’t sit still yet. My child can’t do a jumping
jack yet. Yet gives our children a freedom to keep
reaching for goal after goal after goal. It gives us,
the parents, freedom from self-imposed guilt,
from the comparison trap, and a limitless supply
of hope. Helen Keller is a wonderful example of
what yet can do. Her parents didn’t give up, they
believed she just hadn’t found the right help yet.
Then they found Anne Sullivan. If it weren’t for
yet, we would not know who Helen Keller was.

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