March 4

3 gifts hard to give thanks for

1.  Jacob's dyslexia.  It's so hard to watch him struggle, especially where his confidence is concerned.  And Lord knows his Syllables appointments have created scheduling challenges for the entire family, and have a definite impact on our finances.  So it would be really easy to wish that he didn't need to go, or have dyslexia for that matter.  But ... we have been blessed through this entire past year or so of testing and identification.  It has given me so much more confidence in my instincts where my children are concerned.  And it has taught me how to be a good advocate for my children.  It has given me a better awareness of learning disabilities, and that dyslexia is just as much an ability as it is a disability.  I know it has given me more compassion and empathy.  And it has given me such admiration for educators who choose to teach special ed.  What a gift they have been to us.  And finally, it has deepened several friendships with moms whom I knew, but not very well until they shared their own IEP experiences with me as we began the journey.  I truly believe that they were placed in my life at just the right time.

2.  Josh's sensory processing issues.  For all the same reasons I just listed, with a few exceptions.  I feel like I have not been the best advocate for him, but I am trying to take the lessons learned with Jacob over the past year and apply them to Josh now.  And while it makes my heart hurt to see other people make snap assumptions abut him based on his sensory "quirks," it is such a huge part of what makes him Josh that I can't wish it away.

3.  Jessie's highly emotional nature.  Boy howdy, can it be a roller coaster ride.  And it's about to get worse as she hits puberty.  But as exasperating and exhausting as it can be, the flip side to it is that she is exceptionally sensitive and compassionate to others.  And I've come to realize that not everyone -- actually, sometimes it seems that almost no one -- shares that trait.  I just have to constantly remind myself of that when she's having a meltdown.