What raising a child with a little extra has taught me

Motherhood is difficult and no one is quite ready for it…especially when your child comes with a little extra. 

Raising a child with extra needs makes me rely on others. That is difficult for my personality, and I’ve learned it’s not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of humility.  

I am stronger than I thought. What I thought was hard before this journey I would now define is challenging. My ability to withstand things I never imagined has built a resiliency that has grown me in ways that are often hard to describe. 

I can survive (and thrive) in the unexpected. Sometimes some of the best gifts come when we least expect them…which has given me a renewed purpose and opportunity to serve others.  

I’m a work in progress and my skills of adjusting, flexing, and adapting are a force to be reckoned with. 

My mind is a powerful tool. Negative thinking can steal joy, blur progress, and cause distractions. Being intentional to celebrate both the little and big things reframes my mindset and keeps me focused on my role (and goals) of being a present and encouraging mom to my kids.

My response matters. This unexpected journey started with fear and grief. I had a choice on how I was going to respond and oftentimes the biggest impact on others is how we respond when life doesn’t go as planned. So respond well. 

I set the tone. Even when I don’t feel prepared, Moms have an innate instinct that is unique to us and I need to be confident in it. 

My life brings hope to another. The highs and lows are real and when there are additional needs it can feel like those moments are multiplied by a thousand. It’s what makes this journey both amazing and extremely difficult. Our empathy muscle has been strengthened and my experience in the journey can bring hope and encouragement to another. 

I am not alone. Each of us goes into this title of Mom without any experience in the role, so my expectations to do it without mistakes is setting myself up for failure and a feeling of defeat. Being able to rely on a community of mothers, new ones, along with the wise ones before me, is a must. Learning and leaning into each other is how we are going to run the world…and raise these amazing kids to reach their highest potential. We can, and we will.

Happy Mother’s Day!