Tag: #intuition

I’m SO frustrated!

Why is it so damn hard to get support for our children?

Why do I need to be an expert in ALL things? Seriously, advocating is one thing but being my daughter’s private tutor. I’m not sure I can do it.

So, here’s what happened…we’ve had our end of school IEPs. Yes, we needed to have 2 because we spend too much time talking. And, I’m not bothered by that in the slightest. Both Alex and I care tremendously about Teal’s schooling, supports, etc. We ask a lot of questions and want to know the reasoning behind goals and benchmarks. It takes time. I’m very happy our school is willing to understand Teal’s needs while being supportive of our process to get there.

During the IEP review process, you know when you go back and really read the IEP again to make sure everything that was committed to for the previous year has been met in terms of services, I saw some discrepancies in what Teal was getting in terms of services and what her IEP seemed to state. So, I began questioning how much 1-on-1 time Teal was actually getting with her teacher. In previous meetings, the entire staff told us how much better Teal learns when receiving 1-on-1 instruction. And, I thought, we had gotten a commitment from her teacher and support staff that she would be receiving this extra assistance in 2nd grade.

However, in my review of her IEP for 2nd grade, I couldn’t seem to find the commitment in writing on the IEP. What? We completely missed that they didn’t include that verbiage for her 2nd grade IEP. Yes…WHAT THE F?

1st off, that’s on me and Teal’s dad. Completely. That is not the school’s fault. However, they told us verbally they’d be providing small group and 1-on-1 instructional time for Teal. But, in the IEP, they just wrote small group. Yeap. We missed it.

Looking back on Teal’s education this year, she’s falling behind. More than just a little behind…the gap between her 1st grade peers was significantly smaller than the gap between her 2nd grade peers. Why, dare I ask, do you think that is? Hmmmm….anything to do with the fact that every day in 1st grade she had 20-30 minutes of 1-on-1 instruction with her teacher? Ya think? Damn it all to hell. I’m so darn mad.

Fast forward to our meeting yesterday to establish service minutes…the school can’t “give her 1-on-1 instruction if the teacher is already providing that instruction to other students.” The teacher cannot duplicate instruction time. Really?

And, the kicker…they won’t add it back in. I pressed. I said I was extremely disappointed and wouldn’t be signing the IEP. I got quite heated as a matter of fact. I didn’t yell…but man they knew I was mad!

So, major lesson learned!

Fast forward to today (I think I wrote this initial rampage 6 weeks ago)…

I didn’t post it because I knew posting something when you’re really mad can often lead to not-so-great outcomes. Anyhoots, I didn’t sign the IEP. However, I did do some research and I did throw the staff’s words back at them. I sent a strategic email referencing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  that ensures students with a disability are provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs.  I stressed “appropriate” and “tailored.” I sited numerous conversations where the entire support team for Teal said she learned best with 1-on-1 teaching. I copied everyone under the sun. I had had enough. I was making sure that everyone in the district knew that this Mama Bear was NOT going to take this type of treatment for their child. Nope. Not me.

I sent it…and then, I waited!

And waited.

And then, my phone rang. The supervisor and the department head were on the phone and they wanted to talk. We had an open and honest (and nice) conversation. Concessions were made. I don’t think Teal will get all of the 1-on-1 time she needs or I requested, but we are going to meet again before school starts to look at scheduling for her and her teachers.

And, I’ve learned I need to be a better tutor here at home. If she’s not going to get everything, I feel she needs at school, then I need to step up our game. (next post on how the heck to do that…because she’s always so tired after school…she’s usually just done!)

In the end, my mom was right. When I called her in a huge tiff after the 1st IEP, she said things always seem to work out for Teal. She told me to wait. She told me to have confidence. In the end, she really told me to wait for the magic of Teal to do its work.

And, she was right. Teal’s magic brought what could have been a legal battle of parents against school…to a place of genuine conversation and support!

Thanks, Teal! More later..

XO- Jen

Oh, if you have a story to share or want to brainstorm solutions, let me know. I’m at jen@forourspecialkids.com. And if you have a moment, check out my podcast: For Our Special Kids! It’s on all listening platforms.

I release…

Do you see a healer? Not a medical-Western-doctor type healer but an energy healer? Someone who does things you can’t explain but gives you answers that don’t need to be explained? Finding these people to interact with your energy, your spirit, your soul, or perhaps of your child, isn’t as simple as Google searching…”Energy healer in my area.” It takes word of mouth, referrals, personal experiences, confidence in friends. That is how I found Nick Mallett.

I was interviewing Kelley Coleman, author of Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child, for an upcoming podcast and at the end we moved our chat into energy healers, intuition, woo-woo, etc. She says, “Oh you need to meet Nick.” 

After our recording, she sends me a name and number of a man that doesn’t advertise…to my knowledge. I don’t think he has a website. When we talk, I don’t even get specifics as to what he’ll do. All good…this is why you take advice and referrals from friends. Trust.

When we connect on the phone, I find out he doesn’t really make appointments. Now, for an appointment girl like me, this was probably the most challenging part. I couldn’t plan my schedule around him? He said something to the effect of, “I just go with the flow most days and I do whatever feels good.” Now, right there is a good lesson for me whether or not I ever connected with him for an energy healing. Go with the flow! The astrological year of 2024 would really vibe with that sentiment. Let go of control!

So, what do I do…I mark my calendar (ha) to call him at 9:11 PT which is 11:11 CT Monday to see if he was free for a healing. Note the angel number of 11:11.

I eventually hook up with him on the phone and he basically dives right in. He asks me to stand up, drink some water, get comfortable, relax my knees and then starts energetically scanning my body over the phone. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing. Alas, I just went with the flow.

About 3 seconds into my body scan, he starts giving me phrases to say. I was instructed to say them outload, 3x. Each statement started with “I release all _______ and _______ releases me.” After which he would give me an verbal “knod” and then I would hear light language affirming what my body was releasing.

Here were some examples:

“I release all guilt and guilt releases me.” x3

“I release all remorse and remorse releases me.” x3

“I release all toxicity and toxicity releases me.” x3

“I release all inflammation and inflammation releases me.” x3

“I release all banishment and banishment releases me.” x3

“I release all grief and grief releases me.” x3

Many of these statements caught in my throat. The grief statement made me cry. Actually, many of them made me cry.

Grief, Guilt, Remorse, Comparison, Judgment…

The curious part about making these statements 3x was that by the time I got to the 3rd statement, I could feel my body and my emotions release. My voice changed as well. By the 3rd time, I bought in. I could feel “it” going away. I could feel “it” releasing.

I had no idea I was holding on to so much emotion, so much sadness. But as I made the statements, I honored them. I honored the emotion. And, I found myself being kinder to myself with each statement. Acknowledging that we carry negativity inside ourselves is a good thing. Acknowledging that life isn’t always grand…is a good thing. Being truthful and honest with ourselves gives us the freedom to release it.

The next morning during meditation I found myself making some statements again. Things that perhaps crept back in during the day prior.

What do you need to release? What needs to release its hold on you?

Take a moment and sit with these questions. Be kind as the answers come in. And make your own statements 3x. Feel what happens.

XO

Jen

UPDATE: I spoke with Nick before publishing this blog.

  1. What he does is called Quantum Energy Healing!
  2. He checked in with me the day after to see how Teal and I were doing (I neglected to mention that he worked on both of us. I suppose that’s another post). Turns out we were (and still are 2 days later) both quite sick. This, I know from other healings, is quite normal as your body processes and releases that which needs to be freed. The really wonderful part is that he did a few things energetically to help Teal and me because…because it’s the nicest thing to do. Made me feel like we were important…not just clients. And, that is something you don’t always see these days.
  3. He also may be working on a place to put his testimonials. I’ll be writing one for sure…maybe he’ll even link this post to his website? 
  4. Thanks, Nick…if you read this!

5 Steps to Connect Telepathically with Your Child

When do you connect with your child? When is easiest? When is it hardest? How do you connect with them?

First and foremost, the hardest time for me to connect with Teal is when she is hurting or extremely frustrated. Normally this is when her, and my, emotions are running high. In addition to the elevated emotions, I often get a physical response from Teal. She may swat or shake or kick. You all have experienced it. And in those moments, it is so hard to determine exactly what they need. My discernment is very low during this time.

I so desperately wish she could talk…to tell me what she needs.  I hear myself saying, “Just show me what’s wrong.” And, I often hear myself saying back, “I’m sorry I don’t understand. I don’t know what you need.”

That’s your cue!  When you hear yourself saying that to your child, take note. Pause, breathe and implement this very quick process. 

  1. Ground. Feel yourself on the ground. Whatever part of you is touching the floor, acknowledge it and feel it more. Connect to something stable.
  2. Open your crown chakra. Connect to the higher realms of energy. Open your crown and reach up with your energy. You may feel the top of your head get lighter. You may direct violet or golden light out of the top of your head into the heavens. Know that you are connecting with higher answers.
  3. See a gorgeous light blue color surrounding your throat and awaken your energy there. Know that you can communicate and you can hear what is needed.
  4. Finally, open your heart. Reach your heart energy into your child’s heart energy. See the light connecting you both. Then, reach energetic open palms out to their heart energy.
  5. Now listen and feel.

This process should be quick…60 seconds or less.

Now, if nothing happens at first, please do not despair. This, like any new skill, takes time to develop. The neural pathways need to be built and strengthened. It is important to practice when the stress and emotion is not high. Practice when you don’t need the answer, when your child isn’t hurting or frustrated.

One way to begin building this “muscle memory” is by practicing after you put your child to bed at night.  Just go through the process in your mind and imagine it working. Imagine it being easy. Imagine the energetic packets of information coming from your child into you. It will happen. And, the more you practice when the need is low, the easier it will be when the need is high.

Crystals and Essential Oils can enhance your intuition and connection.

You also may consider holding a crystal or using an essential oil to enhance your practice.

Crystals to consider include blue stones for communication.  I love angelite for a spiritual connection with enhanced communication. While the experts don’t list this one as a good stone for telepathy, I find it perfect. It’s peaceful and healing and gentle. When I think about connecting with Teal, those are the feelings I want.  It also helps you to connect with your angel team…and I believe that Teal’s higher self is part of my angel team.  So, this is a win-win for me.  Other blue stones to consider are lapis lazuli or kyanite.  Rose quartz is all about love. Opening our heart is a must when communicating with our non-verbal children. Pink opal is also wonderful for enhancing your motherly connection.  Clear quartz and amethyst are wonderful for boosting your intuitive connection and help with the crown chakra.

Essential oils to consider might include the InTune blend from dōTERRA®. I put this directly on my 3rd eye.  Use rose oil for its extremely high vibration. To use our energy to communicate, our vibration must be high. Rose can help elevate you.

You may try the tree oils as they will help with grounding. If you feel too much stress, the tree oils can do wonders to lower the stress and get you connected with yourself before reaching out to another. Frankincense is another incredibly powerful oil for self-love and overall healing. I love frankincense for all things spiritual…heck, I just love frankincense for all things!  Peppermint and lemon can awaken your mind and help with clarity. Sage, clary sage, and rosemary are wonderful for wisdom and remembering. All so important when connecting with your child!

Remember, the next time you hear yourself saying, “I’m sorry, honey. Mommy just doesn’t understand what you want.” Put the above steps into play and believe that you can easily connect with your baby!

My love,

Jen

If you’d like more information, please contact me at jen@ForOurSpecialKids.com. You can also visit http:/www.mydoterra.com/jenniferlansink to learn more about oils, add to your collection, and get fun recipes.

Having Balance

In my class with Maureen Burford, we are currently working on our 2nd chakra. This is what Ellen Tadd refers to as the Identity Chakra. This chakra focuses on many things but the area I want to discuss today is balance. In her books, Ellen describes how this chakra supports action and pausing, movement and stillness, pushing and pulling, stimulation and support, masculine and feminine, growing and planting, talking and listening.

I realized when reading these chapters that it is our job as parents to support both of these sides. The receptive and the expressive sides of our children need to be nurtured.

For example, when I was a child, I was told by my parents and teachers quite often to stop talking. This does not shock anyone who has read my posts over the years or who has listened to me yammer on the podcast. However, these words did impact me quite negatively. I found myself not speaking up for myself when I needed to which then resulted in me pushing too much at inappropriate times. This happened frequently with my parents…outbursts, slamming doors, tears.

As I look at this chakra and then the concepts of yin and yang (that’s basically what Ellen is getting at), it is so important to look at the opposite of what your child is doing and use that as a starting point to influence behavior and support growth. My parents and teachers could have said, “Jen, listen more.” Rather than “stop talking”…see the difference, feel the difference? It is so much more instructive and I can feel a younger version of me learning in that situation not feeling shamed.

So, how does this relate to Teal and your child? Let’s list out the things we want to see more of in our child. If I want her to talk more, what is the opposite of talking? What is the yin to the yang? Talking…listening. So, I am going to positively support her for listening. I might say, “Teal, I am so impressed with how well you are listening to me right now.” And then a few minutes later, I may ask her to also use her voice. Describing the sometimes it’s important to listen and sometimes it’s important to speak and express yourself.

Another example, I want her to stop swinging her arms when she’s frustrated. This often leads to hitting or smacking me or others and may be a problem in the future. So, what is the opposite of swinging her arms? Stillness in frustration. I hope in the future to say something like, “Teal, I really love how still your body is right now when I know you are frustrated with ______________.” And then, after a few minutes I might honor when she uses her body to express herself in a positive way…like pointing, using signs, etc.

This is a work in progress for me but I thought I’d share with you some ways I am hoping to positively impact the world my daughter lives in.

Next post will be on the balance of spiritual therapies and physical therapies! Stay tuned.

Opening Your Crown Chakra in the Morning

I am currently in a class with Maureen Burford from Creative Lives called Foundations 1. We meet each Tuesday via Zoom to discuss the assigned chapters in two books by Ellen Tadd: The Wisdom of the Chakras and A Framework for Wise Education. This is like a graduate level class…we have mandatory writing each week. And since I’m writing for Maureen, I thought I’d share my thoughts with you.

My primary focus over the past week with Teal was to be more aware of my crown chakra (7th) to then be open to her crown chakra (7th).

When I slowed down throughout the day to feel my crown chakra, I noticed that mornings were a tough time for me to feel open and inspired.  The stress of the morning, the schedule, the time constraints, the lack of control over a 7-year-old all contributed to a closed chakra.

Then, I remembered that inspirational music is a great way to “pop the crown” open. Alex had played “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons one morning in place of my standard Mozart…much to my dismay. However, when looking back on that experience, I felt lighter, more free, bouncy, and energized.   So, there I was asking Alexa to play “Thunder.”  And I immediately began bouncing up and down, dancing around the kitchen feeling the top of my head lift off. Success!

I also want to be more aware of Teal’s crown chakra. So, after taking my time this morning to meditate and automatic write, which opens my crown and sets me on a great path for the day, I went upstairs to wake up Teal. That’s when I realized I had a chance to help Teal open her crown before she even got out of bed.

For whatever reason this morning, Teal was very groggy. Slow to get up and certainly not her normal smiley self at 7 am. She wanted to cuddle longer than normal and wouldn’t get out of bed when I asked her. Now, I normally would have just picked her up out of bed and said frankly, “We gotta get going, Teal.” I would have taken control and forced her to get out of bed and start her day.

However, today, I realized I had a choice in helping her to start her day from a better place. When she asked me to cuddle. I cuddled. I did a few things with the comforter that I know she loves and makes her smile. I slowly tickled my fingers up her body to help wake her up. I held her with no intention other than to feel her sweet body against mine softly breathing. And that’s when I felt her smile. I felt her begin to wake up her crown and find joy in the morning.

Such an easy way to let go of control to give her a better morning.

And, to take it a step further, when I put on Thunder this morning, she asked me telepathically to put Mozart back on. I find this very interesting. Her Crown must like Mozart better than Imagine Dragons. I’m glad I was present enough with her to hear her message.

5 Things

In a recent conversation with my mom (we were recording an episode for the podcast at http://www.ForOurSpecialKids.com), she reminded me of the importance of 5 things.

Years ago, I would wake up each morning and write 5 things that I was grateful for in a notebook next to my bed. Just an easy 5 things. It started my day on a wonderfully positive note and I encourage you to try it.

Here are my 5 things for today:

  1. Waking up with my kitty purring next to me
  2. The taste of hot coffee with cream made by my husband
  3. My morning meditation
  4. The morning colors on the lake
  5. The outstretched arms of my Teal when she woke up

If you can take 30 seconds to honor 5 things you’re grateful for today, your entire day will benefit.

Smiles…

Did you know I started a podcast called For Our Special Kids?

Each week I highlight a certain special person who is doing something amazing in our world of parenting a child with special needs! It might be a specialist, a parent, an author, a “WooWoo” healer, medium, psychic, etc. We talk science and we talk woowoo! It’s so much fun.

In every episode, we celebrate the magic and the mess of raising a child with special needs.

You can find all of the episodes since April 2022 on any of your listening platforms!

To learn more about Teal and our journey, go to www.ForOurSpecialKids.com.

Thanks so much for being a part of our journey!

Wishing Away a Day

Our family had an unbelievably busy summer. Our end of June to July, however, was over the top. Alex, Teal, me, my dad, and step-mom met in Montana for an incredible (and extremely exhausting) 5 days at The Ranch at Rock Creek Dude Ranch. It was incredible. So many outstanding memories to fill our future.

When we arrived home, June 29th, there was a friend of ours at the house. We knew he was coming for the 4th of July weekend…he just arrived before we did. Mark this as Day 1.

Davio stayed until July 5th. I like to tell him that he doesn’t count…because he doesn’t. You know those house guests that don’t require a major clean-up or prepared breakfasts? They don’t care what you look like…ever. They know you get testy about things. They know you argue with your husband and then 2 seconds later you’re over it. The type who knows your kitchen so well that they can unload your dishwasher? Yeah…Davio is one of those guests. However, he was still at our space and having another person means more dishes, more food, more discussion, more planning, etc.

July 5th – July 7th Teal had camp which allowed me to clean house and get laundry done before the next 3 people arrived. These were not the “you don’t count” type of people. These 3 arrived July 8 and didn’t leave till July 16th. By July 16th, I was starting to feel a bit “over-it”. I was already tired of having people in my house. Sigh.

July 17 – 21, my niece arrives with a friend.

July 19 Candela, our Spanish exchange student arrives. She stays till July 29th.

July 23 Candela’s family from Spain arrives.

Yes…at this point, all 5 bedrooms of my house are full. I am making meals for 7 people for more than a week. Trying to stay on top of laundry, Teal’s schedule, our guests’ entertainment schedule, grocery buying, meal prepping, meal making, clean up, and the list continues.

I AM EXHAUSTED at this point! Kind of beyond exhausted actually.

Our house was finally empty and quiet on June 30th.

But during that entire time, well most of that time if I’m being really honest here, I kept reminding myself to never wish a day away.

It is so easy to just get by, to just make it through the day. We all have those times when we think to ourselves, just make it to 5 pm or 8 pm or bedtime or tomorrow morning. And, I will probably have one of those moments in the near future again. But I hope when I’m in the moment, I can remember that this moment will never ever ever be here again. This exact moment, right now as you’re reading, will never be here again. Ever. You can’t get it back. Time keeps ticking.

My mom told me when I was starting my working career that if I wished Mondays away, then I would be wishing 1/7 of my life away. Take that in for a moment. If you dread Mondays because you don’t like your career…you are dreading 1/7 of your entire life away or at least until you find another job to dread.

When I take time to consider the 1/7 statistic, I am reminded that our time here on this Earth is fleeting. Our time here is a drop in the ocean, a whisp of air, one grand of sand on a beach. You get it! We just aren’t here very long and I am going to try and not wish any of this time away.

Looking back, I could have wished an entire month away. An entire month! Saying to myself, “Just make it to July 30th! Just make it to July 30th.” But, I tried not to. I tried to feel each day, to savor each moment, to stretch out each meal. Because I don’t know if any of those people will ever be in my house again. We don’t know what life holds. Many of you have received phones calls that confirmed the vanishing of future memories on this Earth plain with someone who one day was here and who one day wasn’t.

So the next time you feel a bit overwhelmed with the day, the child, the space, the moment…take a deep cleansing breathe, put a small grin on your face, and say, “This too shall pass but I’m not wishing it away!”

XOXOXO

What happens when you fall off the wagon?

Do we need to feel guilt towards our spirit team when we fall off the spiritual wagon?

I’ve fallen off the wagon. Yes, I’ve said it. I fell off the wagon and it drove away.

I’m also happy to say I found the wagon and I climbed back on.

We’ve all done it and we’ll do it again. We fall off the wagon with our eating plans (aka diet), our movement plans (aka exercise routine), our friendships, our hobbies, our…everything. This time I fell off my meditation and journaling plan. I normally wake up early and meditate for 15-20 minutes followed by 10 minutes or so of journaling. The journaling often turns into automatic writing and it is powerful. My early morning time is extremely meaningful to me. I am a better human, a better mom, a better wife/daughter/friend… a better everything when I make my meditation/journaling time a priority.

So, the question is … WHY DID I FALL OFF THE WAGON IF IT’S THAT IMPORTANT? What was so important that it took priority over my “me” time?

A couple of things…I got sick. Ugh. Like really really sick. Sinus infection, ear infection, blown ear drum sort of sick. And we had a holiday in there and guests in town for 3 straight weeks. Yes, all great excuses. But, nothing says I can’t just sit in silence for 5 minutes each morning before I start my day. No matter how horrible I feel. It doesn’t have to be the normal 40 minutes. 5 minutes is okay.

Well, anyhoots, I got back on the meditation/journaling wagon yesterday. YEAH. And, as I sat in meditation I started apologizing to my spirit team. I thanked them for being patient with me but then I started profusely apologizing. And, do you know what I heard…”This guilt is placed by yourself. This is your guilt. This has nothing to do with us.”

How many times do we place the emotion of guilt on ourselves?

Many times I find myself avoiding something because I avoided it in the past. And it is easier to avoid that it is to do. And, it is sometimes easier to feel guilt than it is to do. Get that…let it sink in. Sometimes I choose to feel guilty about not doing something than actually doing something. Exercise is a great example for me. The longer I go without exercising, that easier it is to not exercise. And yet, each day I don’t exercise, I feel more guilt. Agh! It’s crazy. Why would I ever do that? I don’t want to feel guilty. Yuck.

There are about 10 things right now that I know I am avoiding. I am choosing to NOT do something and in effect, I am choosing to feel crappy about it. Why on Earth would I choose a heaviness in my heart, a pit in my stomach, and an overall sadness and disappointment over doing something? I have no idea. Truly…I don’t.

So, how did all of this come to be…a little message from my spirit team about guilt!!

Ha!

And, so, I’m going to actively choose to DO. I’m going to actively choose to do and to NOT avoid. So, yes, that means putting the folded clothes away in my bedroom. Yes, that means going through my closet and donating the clothes that I will never wear again. Yes, that means moving more today than I did yesterday. Yes, that means doing! And in the act of doing, I feel the heaviness get lighter, the stomach ache ease, and the sadness lift.

What can you start to do today?

With love,

Jen

PS: if you’ve fallen off the meditation/journaling wagon…don’t feel guilt, just do it right now. Sit for 5 breathes and then write 1 sentence. It’s that easy!

Are you emotionally intelligent?

Teal is emotionally smarter than me!

Teal struggles with her emotions. But I imagine she struggles most with expression of her needs and her wants and that translates into extreme emotional distress and frustration.

You know the big thing now with parenting…or at least the big thing on the front of many of my social feeds…teach your children how to work through their emotion.  Give them the tools. Don’t send them to their room alone to figure it out and “think” about what they’ve done.  No, you sit with them, listen to them, ask gentle questions, support them, be empathic, teach them how to use their breath to work through their struggles, teach them how to use their words to work through their frustrations, and give them time and a safe space to say what they need to say.

Well as a parent of a child with special needs, the above paragraph seems like Mount Everest. Many of us have children who can’t even speak, for crying out loud. I can just see us sitting down with our child and waiting for them to process their emotions and then put a sentence together.  It’s comical.

Or if your child does speak, there may be so much stimulation that the words get stuck and hover for eternity. Or the words may come out as a loud cry of frustration. Or perhaps the only way they know how to process the world around them is to hide, to cover, to disappear.  Or to run or stim. Or hit.

So, when I say Teal is emotionally smarter than me I say that from the perspective of her having to process her emotions without the ability to communicate easily. Can you imagine knowing what you want to say but not having a quick way to express it? Or, any way to express it? Can you imagine having an emotion like heartache or pity and trying to communicate that effectively with a robotic talking board or static picture icons?

Seriously, take a moment and imagine.

  • How would you tell someone that you thought they were better than anyone you’ve ever met?
  • What about meeting someone for the first time and expressing how much you loved the color of their eyes?
  • Or…what would you do if someone was in your space and you didn’t like it? 
  • Or if you were mad because someone just talked down to you and made you feel stupid?

What happens if you wanted to express yourself but you couldn’t or if the one sentence you wanted to say needed a talking board and capable hands and TIME?  Would the teacher wait? Would that new friend have the patience? Would someone even notice that you were irritated?

I can’t imagine it. And, when I try, it brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat.

These children are so much more patient, kind, loving, and tolerant than any adult I know. These children emotionally process more in one hour than I do in a day. They are always trying to keep their emotions under control. If they didn’t, I’m not sure the world could handle it. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t handle it.

And yes, many times…most times really….after Teal swats or cries out with frustration or lets her tone take over her entire body, she pauses and looks deep into my eyes. She lets out a deep breath and reaches to wrap her sweet arms around my neck. This happens within moments of the “episode.” She processes through her frustrations and struggles faster than I do that’s for sure. And she does it all day long.

The miracle is within them. Always remember, the miracle is within them.