Recently I came across a quote that spoke to me from Runner's World Magazine.
Three Voices of Truth:
1.) "It gets better."
2.) "You don't stay hurt forever."
3.) "Bodies heal."
~ Marc Parent, March 2012 Issue
Everyday, I make a choice...to run or not. Lately I have been looking at the term of "running" to come to mean more than just physically running. Yes, I hope to run every chance I get. To keep working towards my own personal fitness goals is vital to me. To hold myself accountable for eating responsibly and keep running as part of my weekly routine. When I run outside, on my "outdoor treadmill" it is the best "me" time possible. (Well that and treating myself to my favorite Starbucks drink, a 'Grande Iced Skinny Vanilla Latte.'.yeah, it took me a while to say those words in the right order. Ha.).
However, I am also a rockin' mom of 2 young girls. Jocelyn, age 6 and Minerva "Minnie", age 5. Minnie just happens to have special needs. In my eyes, both of my girls are perfect and are growing up to be happy, healthy, joyful and talented young ladies. Motherhood has given me infinite "nuggets" of knowledge and has been the best full time, anytime day or night job I could ever ask for. With every year that passes by, I can't believe how far my girls have come. It's truly an honor to be a mom. With this great responsibility of raising children, also comes a challenging daily race. Just as when I decide if I'm going to run or not, everyday...I've got to make a choice to "run or rust" with my kids. As a parent of a special needs child, you are constantly running a marathon. Think about when you run, what is the only tool you need? You! That's it...YOU are the tool, the equipment! Nothing else. The same is true for the helping laying down the foundation for your child. If I want my child to learn to read,...I am the initial tool to help her learn. If I want my child to learn how to wash her own hair in the bathtub,....I am the initial tool to help her become more independent. With love, time and practice, I know and believe my daughter will learn all of these things and a lot more.
My daughter, Minnie loves the movie The Wizard of OZ. We rented it 1,000 times from Blockbuster. (eventually we finally bought it for her.) Ironically, this past September 2011 when we were evacuated from our home in Bastrop from the wildfires...Minnie was wearing her "red ruby slippers" that day, on September 4th, 2011. We slept in our car the first night we were evacuated. The second night, we were fortunate enough to find a hotel room in Elgin, a nearby city. I remember clearly, the first morning we woke up and I took Minnie to breakfast in the downstairs lobby. When the elevator doors opened, I pushed Minnie in her stroller...and out no where, Minnie while wearing the only shoes she had at the time, her red ruby slippers...said to me "There's no place like home!" and clicked her little shoes together. It took my breath away. It was a bittersweet moment. But that is my Minnie, always saying the most incredible things and making my Mommy heart melt and skip a beat. From this, an outpouring of love came to my little girl. An angel from our hometown in Indiana really went above and beyond for my child. A very lovely woman whom I had never met, read about this on a facebook post of mine and did the sweetest thing ever...sent my daughter a Dorothy costume, a Dorothy Doll, and a Scarecrow t-shirt in the mail to us! (I am tearing up all over again as I write this.) Again it took my breath away. I was so overcome with joy and gratefullness. Can you guess who Minnie dressed up as for Halloween?? Yep, Dorothy! She was the cutest thing. And her Dorothy doll goes everywhere with Minnie. This doll gets bandaids too when Minnie goes to the doctor's office. It's a very special and precious doll. And ultimately, Minnie is "my Dorothy" and I'm the "Tin Man". When I have days that I feel like my joints are getting rusty and stuck, Minnie comes along and brings her oil can and just makes me new again. There is something to be said about the true innocence and pure love that comes from a child's heart. It is raw, real, children have a great talent of seeing the world without all of the distorted and fractured lens of our society. I think this is why I have learned so much from my children. Everyday...they keep running their own race. Without even realizing it, they are evermore becoming stronger, building up their endurance, having the courage to be who they are and no apologizing for it.
