Slowing Down

Well, I had the complete privilege of getting away to the beach with my beautiful family for an entire week…and I still have “vacation brain.” (I know it has been 2 months, but I still have it!)

I finally had the chance to unwind and truly enjoy my family. Unfortunately, because I work full time, and between therapy appointments with my daughter, and sports activities with my son, I don’t get to actually enjoy the blessings that are all around me every day as much as I should.

Sooo…between the lazy river, the pool, and sitting by the beach---I had plenty of time to talk to the Lord, and watch in amazement as my children took in all the sights and sounds of our beautiful surroundings.

Because of treatments my daughter received over the summer for her muscles, prior to this vacation, she had casts on both of her legs for 6 weeks.
And four days prior to arriving at the beach, she had them removed. So, as you can imagine (especially if any of you have had to wear a cast for any length of time), her gait was very different, trying to adjust to her newly-stretched out muscles….And, because she normally wears braces on her legs daily, her muscles were fighting to keep her balance without them as we trekked to the beach and pool several times a day.

So needless to say, for the entire vacation her gait was very unusual, and she fought every second of the day, just to stay up to walk.

Because of these factors, I had no choice but to slow down.

Literally.

God knew I needed to slow down, and take my time to enjoy this vacation, and He created the circumstances so that I was forced to move slower.

And in the midst of me having to do everything slower, in order for her to be comfortable, I learned an amazing lesson.

Because I was moving at her pace, on her time, I got to see what was really important.

I actually focused on her beautiful face, and how much she is growing before my eyes.

I took the time to listen to each word she spoke, and tune into her amazing curiosity.

As her little body was struggling, her spirit was shining.

In the midst of her using every bit of energy just to stand up and walk, she was full of joy.

True, pure joy that can only come from a child.
The kind of joy our Lord wants us to have on a daily basis.

I learned this simple life lesson, from the most beautiful vessel He placed in my world seven years ago. She knows life no other way—and she perseveres each and every day. She is the epitome of God’s joy, strength and grace.

If she can have joy in the midst of her challenges than what excuse do I have to complain or fret about any challenge I have to face?

So I meditate on Romans 5:3-5, “ …but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

Slow down.
Rejoice.
Persevere.
Gain hope.


A simple, yet profound lesson from my little girl.

And from my God.



Maria and her family reside in NE Ohio. She and her husband are the parents of two. Their daughter is a person with hemipelegic cerebral palsy.Because of her experiences, Maria provides parent-to-parent support for families involved in her local early intervention program. Her gift for writing has come directly from the Lord since her daughter’s diagnosis. She writes a monthly column entitled, “Special Parents, Special Kids” for the Mahoning Valley Parent magazine in Ohio; and has expanded into Parent magazines in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
She is also a contributing author at http://www.mommiesmagazine.com/.Maria's first published work is in Jan Ross and Jeanice McDade's Women of Passion's anthology, "Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God". Both Kim and Maria have been selected to have their work tentatively included in Lori Wagner's upcoming book, Quilting Patches of Life, Volume 2.

One Day at a Time

Maria wears a lot of hats and one of them is as a columist with Mahoning Parent magazine. She finds as she encourages special need families with her own experiences, many of those writings are God breathed and fit in here as well. This is the case with today's post!


I have been on this special parenting journey for six years now, and the most valuable thing I have learned recently is that we have to take this one day at a time. Some days, one hour at a time…can you relate?

My prayer this month is that you will become more aware of the precious present with your child—and not be consumed by the next appointment, treatment or therapy that you have scheduled or would like to try. Our kids are doing amazing things right before our eyes—and sometimes we don’t even realize it.

This took me a very long time to see. I enjoy my daughter—all of her—now more than I ever did. I enjoy both her strengths and her weaknesses, because they both are a part of who she is. For far too long, I focused on the limitations of her body, instead of seeing all of the amazing things she was capable of. And in the meantime, I missed out on so much valuable time with her that I can never get back.
In order to accomplish focusing on her capabilities, I had to first change the way I thought about the disability that is only a part of her. Honestly, this took time. Changing the way we think about the disability itself takes time.

If you are still in the process of accepting the disability—changing the way you think about it will naturally fall into place. With acceptance comes a certain amount of peace—peace in your mind, mostly. That’s how it played out for me. I was searching for some kind—any kind of peace so I could take care of my many other responsibilities in my life, and still know my daughter was going to be OK—no matter what the outcome of the next thing we were going to do for her was going to be. I knew this peace was the only thing that would enable me to take just one day at a time, and enjoy the beauty of the person that God made her to be. Webster’s definition of peace is, “freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction or anxiety; serenity, tranquility.”

Some people find this peace in research—books, articles that have proven to have solved something related to their child’s different abilities. Others find it in sharing their experiences with other families that understand. Still others find it in a non-stop race to find the latest therapy or tool that may get their child to accomplish their next goal.

All of these things are great, and I’ve been in and through them all…
But in the midst of each and every one, I didn’t feel content. Sure, my intentions were good, but I was driven by fear and worry for the future. The opposite of peace is worry. You can’t have them both at the same time. Our minds weren’t wired that way.

I finally found this peace through God and His word.

There, I found my feelings put into words—coupled with words of encouragement and hope for the future. Not just for my future as a mom—but hope for my daughter, and my entire family. My faith in God and the fact that He chose me to be Olivia’s mother is what gets me through each hour, each day—and all the future appointments to come. You see, I’ve given all of the decision-making to Him. He’s the light on my path of this journey, and since I came to know who He is, it’s amazing—I can see the road so much clearer! With Him leading my way, I am able to truly enjoy my daughter, instead of worrying about her future. This peace is so very special to me.

I encourage you to find your own peace, so you too can know you are not taking this journey alone. I’m not claiming I have this calm, tranquil peace each and every hour--but I do know that with God by my side, I have the strength to walk this journey one day at a time.



Maria and her family reside in NE Ohio. She and her husband are the parents of two. Their daughter is a person with hemipelegic cerebral palsy.Because of her experiences, Maria provides parent-to-parent support for families involved in her local early intervention program. Her gift for writing has come directly from the Lord since her daughter’s diagnosis. She writes a monthly column entitled, “Special Parents, Special Kids” for the Mahoning Valley Parent magazine in Ohio; and has expanded into Parent magazines in parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
She is also a contributing author at http://www.mommiesmagazine.com/.Maria's first published work is in Jan Ross and Jeanice McDade's Women of Passion's anthology, "Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God". Both Kim and Maria have been selected to have their work tentatively included in Lori Wagner's upcoming book, Quilting Patches of Life, Volume 2.