Don’t Miss Out

So our society has come so far in including kids with handicaps, specials needs, autism; we will mainstream them at school and even let them sit next to us at lunch. We have been taught to not stare at them, don’t ask questions and it’s perfectly acceptable to not engage with them. This concept to me is so devastating; We as a society are ignoring these amazing people. And the biggest reason why is because we haven’t been taught how to engage with them. The basic premise we operate under is just don’t make eye contact and that means you’re polite. I wholeheartedly disagree And I want to challenge that thought. I say engage with them, talk to them, ask them questions!! As far as I’m concerned you won’t offend someone in a wheelchair if you ask them why they are in a wheelchair. It’s not news to them; it’s not unkind and unsensitive it’s not rude; it’s the complete opposite of that, it’s showing them you care about them as a person that they matter, that they are seen! My daughter has a lot going on; she is in a wheelchair, she has serve scoliosis that deforms her back, she has a trach in her throat to help her breath and because of her low muscle tone she drools, so when people look at her they assume she is not “there” cognitively. They don’t take the time to look past her handicaps to discover an amazing, sharp, Whitty and funny little girl. And so what, so what if she “wasn’t there” mentally and you did try to engage with her? Would she be offended? Would I as a parent be offend? Heck no because I would appreciate that you saw her as a person and that she matters. And side note; how do any of us know how much a person is or isn’t there mentally and why is it up to us to decide?? Even Doctors and Scientist don’t actually know what is going on inside the brain of someone who “isn’t there” mentally. So engage with them, talk to them, maybe they’re stuck inside their own mental limitations and they can’t engage back, but we can engage with them and we need to. I know it’s uncomfortable, I know it’s hard to get outside of yourself and engage with someone who is different. But the fact of the matter is their life and the trials they have walked through are real and they deserve the honor of us respecting them and acknowledging that they are people, that they matter and they are seen. 

You want to know how to treat someone with special needs? Look at how their siblings treat them. They love them, they care about them, they see them. I don’t have all the answers but it starts with one; each one of us. Next time you see someone who has different needs, special needs, a handicap whatever you want to call it I dare you to engage with them. See them, acknowledge them, they matter. Do it in front of your children so that they can see what it looks like, make it normal for them. Do the hard uncomfortable work so that the next generation thinks nothing of it, so that they think it’s just normal. Like I said I know it’s hard, but step out and do something hard in order to honor someone who might have it a lot harder than you. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to engage with a truly amazing person! 

Steps for Noel

So on Labor Day we ran our 3rd race together; 

a 10K. My plan was for us to conquer a 10K 6 months, 

turns out we did it in 3 weeks.  Around mile 5

 I was encouraging my son. "Hey buddy you can do it!

 Think about Noel we're taking all the steps that she 

was never been able to." No sooner did I say those words 
then did that realization

 actually hit me and I started bawling. 

In the middle of mile five I was a mess of tears and emotions. 

There we were, 9 years since Noel has been able to walk 

and we're taking steps for her. That realization was both 

painful and heart warming. My oldest daughter asked, 

"Mom are you ok?" Yes I thought; yes I am.

 It's just the loss of a child's ability is something 

you never, ever get over; you just learn to deal 

with it, to overlook it as much as possible. 

But there will always be moments where the 

truth of that loss hits you in the gut and brings you to tears. 

I'm just glad that this time, when the revelation hit me 

that my daughter can not walk,

I was holding her hand while my husband pushed 

her toward the finish line. 

We will continue to run these races and do 

our best to never take for granted the gift we 

have of being able to walk and run. 

I hope this will inspire you to get out and if 

you're able to walk or run, do it. 

And if not for you do it in honor of those 

who can't run but would if they could. 

If you would like to join us in trying to reach our 

goal of the 50,000,000 steps that Noel has 

missed out on then like our Facebook Page and 

add you steps for Noel!  

https://www.facebook.com/stepsfornoel/posts/299310900846612?notif_id=1536187819280826&notif_t=page_post_reaction

True Beauty

One thing I have been so blessed to see on my journey around my figurative “Mountain” is the amazing beauty there is to behold. My “Mountain” is the disease I watch torment my daughter; Muscular Dystrophy. Today, however, was one of those moments of beauty that I wouldn’t be able to experience if I wasn’t on the Mountain. We went to Noel’s 5th Colorado Angels Pageant. These Pageants are labors of love put on by other amazing mothers who have children with special needs. It is a day to lavish love, praise and attention upon these amazing children who are fighting amazing battles. 

My heart burned with love and admiration as I saw little girls sing, dance and perform as though they had no care in the world. I was also moved by the love and selflessness of the siblings of these awesome kids. Their siblings are Angels in their own right; they sing and dance along stage with their sisters, they put tiaras on their heads and they love them so well.

The World tells us what It thinks beauty is; But I think true beauty is rising above hard circumstances, I think true beauty is smiling in the face of despair, I think true beauty is dancing, singing and smiling NO MATTER WHAT. I am blessed, touched, and humbled 

at the amazing display of True BeautyI got to see today.  

Pain

I have struggled with tooth pain for the past 12 years. Pregnancy was hard on my body and ever since I had Noel I have had tooth complications. As a child I watched my mom walk the same road; I also saw her fall into a deep depression because of her tooth issues and her having to get dentures at a very young age. I have had fear surrounding the dentist since. 

I just left the dentist after having a three week complication with a root canal, which in the end resulted in my tooth having to be pulled. The sadness and frustration I feel right now is real; I mean I know it’s just a tooth and people go through far worse things, but I can see right now in this moment how something as seemingly simple as a tooth could really cause a person to fall into sadness. Pain is real, it has become a constant companion of mine over the last 12 years, it’s just something you “get use to.” I can see how my mom, having been through a lot of other pain in life was overcome by the pain, shame and embarrassment of losing her teeth. She retreated from friends and family, it was easy to. Being alone in your pain seems easier but the truth is it’s not. When we can share our pain with those around us, they can help us. God didn’t intend for us to carry pain on our own.The second the needle finally touched the nerve that was causing so much pain I had relief, I felt amazing. Even now I sit here with a swollen cheek, a mouth full of gauze and a hole where there was once a tooth; I am free of pain. Anesthesia is good and it has a place; but how much more does God want us to be out of emotional and spiritual pain, let Him be the great physician, don’t self medicate, it will only relive the pain temporary. Let God take the pain out by the root so that you can be completely free of the pain. Then realize it doesn’t end there with a huge hole in your heart or in may case in my mouth; let your heart heal. Let Him rebuild you, allow him to replace what was causing you pain with something that is firm and solid and completely from Him. 

Dream Big!

Noel told me the other day her biggest dream in life is to walk again... 

Wow was that hard to hear and yet it was also encouraging. 

Hard because it made my heart ache that my daughter who hasn’t walked

 since she was 3 years old is now 11 and her biggest goal in life is to walk again. 

However it is encouraging that she is still dreaming!

 I thought walking was a dream lost long ago with Noel. 

 Oh how I wish I could look her in the eyes and say yes you can, 

you can do anything you set your mind to, yes Noel you can walk again. 

The truth is I just can’t; 

Me, Tina the eternal optimist can not look her in the eyes and tell her she can walk again. 

So instead I’m doing what I can. 

I have committed to start training with her, I can’t garuntee she’ll ever walk again but I will do what I can. I will push her to the next level, I will push her to more, I will push her to win the race. 

That’s what we’re going to do! Noel and our family are going to start running races together. 

Our fist race we’ll run together is the Peach Festival 5K on August 18th.

So what dreams do you have? What things can you do today to move towards that dream? 

Sure a girl with Muscular Dystrophy may never walk again, but at least she has the courage to dream.

So let Noel inspire you to dream BIG Dreams!