Grade 1- Spring 2013
Another year has flown by and Darby continues to grow. Her muscles are still floppy and she wears a TLSO (back brace) all times that she is upright in her chair. Her school year was filled with weekly swim trips, IPAD work and a new sensory room that was created in a back room of the library. This sensory room is quiet and dark but can be lit up with a whole bunch of fun stuff in an instant. Darby attended Grade 1 with a lot of the same kids from her Kindergarten class as per the children's requests. This warms my heart since I know that Darby is there to teach and not necessarily learn. She is popular and will often blow a 'raspberry' and make the kids laugh as well. For the first time, Darby was actually 'disrupting' the class with her 'singing and goofy antics'. This may be a trend moving forward so we are lucky to have the sensory room to fall back on. Our assistant has been fabulous and continues to work as Darby's right hand and has made the year a happy one. Darby's health also stabilized somewhat (no hospital overnights) and she has not required surgery in 2013 so far which are two 'firsts' for us. She is still as sweet as ever.
Below is a letter that my Mom wrote to herself
about her journey and how she sees it today.
This letter comes six years after I first laid
eyes on my baby girl. It is a letter that I wish I could have read when life
decided to take a big turn back on September 12, 2006. This is what I would
have told myself.
You are going to be all right. The pain that you
are feeling right now isn’t going to last. You will grow through this process
in ways you can’t even imagine. You will see yourself in ways that people have
already seen you and it will fill you with love. You will be taking a road that
is long and difficult and beautiful- sometimes all at the same time. You will
come face to face with your biggest fears, cry many tears and you will still be
all right. Your husband and family will stick with you. You will know a kind of
love that not everyone gets to know and feel. Your daughter will teach you so
much more than your four year under graduate degree ever did. You will meet
people who will have open hearts and curious minds. They may even be strangers.
You will inspire people around you, just for getting up in the morning and
being you. You will get respect from people without asking for it and without
working for it. Your daughter will bring a community together without having to
utter a single word. Your daughter will be loved fully and deeply and, in her
own way, show love and joy. The picture in your mind about how things are going
to be is not your truth. You will find out what is important in life and love.
You will be stronger than you ever thought possible. You will achieve much and
you will do it with an open heart, a loving family and by following your truth.
You will be all right.
