To all other parents out there who have a child with
learning disabilities, I know your struggle, and I feel your pain. I know that
you lose sleep at night worrying about your child, and I know how much you have
devoted your own life to being his/her advocate. I know that sometimes you feel
exasperated and overwhelmed. I know how much you pray for it to get easier for
your child. And, I know how desperately you wish that other people better
understood the silent battle that your child and you fight every day without
reprieve. I know you want the best for your child and how much you want your
child to stop questioning his/her abilities as he/she fights to forge a path of
learning that leads to pride and success. I know.
I know
the feeling you get when you have to try to explain these things, countless times,
to the people around you--family, friends, and teachers-- and see the look in
their eyes that they just don’t get it. I know the sinking dread that fills
your heart as you realize how much your child is up against and the fact that
it will never go away or be easy for him/her. I know how hard you fight to
swallow your tears when you watch your child crying because he/she is feeling
defeated, stupid, and worthless. I know you feel like someone has punched you
in the stomach when your child expresses concern about his/her future,
wondering if he/she will be able to accomplish his/her dreams. I know that you
cry at night after everyone in your house has gone to bed or when you are in
the shower and no one can hear you because you are exhausted from watching your
child struggle and worry every single day. I know you try to boost your child’s
self-esteem and combat your child’s feelings of fear, loneliness, and anxiety. I
know that this in and of itself feels like a full-time job. I know.
I know
you realize that no one, even you, knows exactly what your child is going
through and how helpless this makes you feel. I know the extra worry lines that
have formed too early at the corners of your eyes and how you feel suffocated by
the weight of homework, long-term assignments, and tests. I know you are up
until midnight on some nights trying to help your child complete assignments to
feel as prepared as possible for the next school day. I know you try every day
to find a balance between helping too much and helping too little. I know how
much you wish that there was a way to fix all of this for your child. I know that
you would sell the shirt off of your back if this meant removing every
difficulty that your child faces. I know.
I know
that, despite this all, you never give up hope that tomorrow will be an easier
day. I know that you hang on to the dream that your child will one day feel
calm, successful, and happy. I know that you will never give up; you will never
stop advocating and explaining; you will never rest until your child finds
peace. I know how much you celebrate every success in your child’s life, every
single thing that makes him/her beam with pride and excitement.
I know that you and your
child are not alone in this no matter how much you sometimes feel that you are.
I know.
