Totes Real Tuesday

In an effort to always keep it totally (or "totes" as all the cool kids say) real here in blog land, I'm hosting a once a week blog party!

Totes Real Tuesdays

Source

Where you post a few things about your week or yourself that are totally real and down and dirty - something to keep you true to yourself and your intended purpose of blogging. To encourage us all to give up the need to be "as" 's - as good as, as crafty as, as skinny as, as witty as, as many followers as - anyone other than ourselves.

If you want to join me in the keep it real crusade, follow these steps:
1.Follow Me!
2. Link up below
3. Spill your gutsies :)


1. The pictures are still against my wall.

2. I have a few totally irrational fears: blood clots, tires blowing out on the interstate, tires blowing up when you put air in them, and cars exploding when you fill them up with gas. (yes, that's a lot of things blowing up)

I keep them mostly at bay.... the worst is the blood clot one. I"m pretty sure that for 1 or 2  minutes every day I am convinced that the pain in my leg or arm is a blood clot and if I move it will run straight to my heart, but I've had enough practice with it to talk myself out of it and move on.
Anyway,  last weekend after dinner with my friends, I noticed my car tire was low (that's a whole other story there, by the way). My friend Katy - who may be the sweetest, kindest, and most understanding person I've ever met - willingly followed me to the air pump and put air in my tire for me.  She didn't blow up, amazingly.

Do you still want to be my friend with all that crazy?

3. I love my job. I meet some of the most amazing people. It can also be heart breaking and infuriating. In a strange twist - one that many of you will not understand - my job has also made me a bit of a "special needs snob". What's that? It's the idea that I sometimes take on that people who have different abilities than the "norm" - or special needs - and those people who have close personal relationships with them are in a way, "better" than people who do not. That sounds horrible and I know it's not true, as no one person or group is ever truly better than another, but really, you are missing out. Determination, strength, heart, and hope is abundant with the children I work with and their families. The following is an email that I got this weekend from a mother of one of my patients. She had taken her daughter to her first ever birthday party for a friend and things did not go well. She sent this as a plea to her friends and acquaintances as a plea for them to teach their children about how to respond to others. It's something I think everyone should read:

I had a very  heart breaking situation this weekend. Therefore I am writing to you to ask you to join me in something special. I am writing this email to ask you as your colleague/friend/someone  you know from past or present,  to spend a couple of minutes talking to your children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces or any children you are close to,  about other children with disabilities.  I am saying children because only they can change the way things are perceived, they are the future. 

The most difficult thing about raising  a child with disability or special needs is not the childs' disability as the majority of people think. The most difficulty is coping with other people's reactions. This weekend, it was the first time I took my little girl to a classmate's birthday party and another child tore my heart apart with her rude comments to my daughter.  She did not know better, but her mom did. She could have talked to her child about children who need more help in different areas.

I believe we can make this life much easier for people with challenges by normalizing our attitude, by not being dismissive or being overly kind. If you are wondering why I am sharing this with you, because you are one of the few people I know and you may have a positive impact! I ask you to spend a couple of minutes of your time this week or next week talking to the children around you to teach them about children with different disabilities and challenges so they are aware and accepting not pitying or dismissive.

If you don't know how to handle a situation when you see someone with special needs then practice it in front of the mirror. The way you look, the way you offer help or start a conversation or dismiss someone can be a whole weekend of tears for another family. There is nothing sad about a disability when one feels belonged and welcomed. I hope no one is reading this email feeling sad about my daughter. Because she is the luckiest, toughest, sweetest kid: ) I would feel sad for people who don't know how to teach their children about other children with challenges. If it requires practice please practice it in front of the mirror and teach the children around you. Practice makes it better : )

You may not have a child with special needs, but I am sure you know at least one person that you care about who has this issue close to her heart. Do it for that person please. 

God Bless you!

A Mom

Don't forget to link up and keep it real with me :

 Loading InLinkz ...