If we’re being honest, sometimes parenting a child with special needs can wear on us physically, mentally, & emotionally. Don’t get us wrong, Ollie is the light of our life and the joy he brings can light up a whole room. His giggle just about makes our hearts burst. But, in the everyday mundane tasks of practicing eating, sitting, crawling, walking and not to mention the weekly or even bi-weekly occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy, it can be difficult to see the light in the darkness. We constantly have to look for the light, even if it means finding a tiny ray of light peeking from the crack of a doorway. We find ourselves telling each other, “Just look for the light,” because at the end of the day, there is always something to be grateful for, even if it is that we simply survived the day.
But, then there are days where the light shines so bright you could just sit and stare at it all day.
This happened over the weekend when we were surprised with a gift from our uncle and cousin. They have been working on creating Ollie his very own v-seat since the one we have is loaned from our physical therapist. However, they didn’t just make Ollie a v-seat. They made the “Cadillac” of all v-seats. They went above and beyond not leaving any detail out, including picking a color that would match the colors of our house and having Ollie’s name embroidered on it.
Amazing acts of kindness like this shed light on the darkest days and bring a sense of energy that keeps us going.
We always say that Ollie teaches us as much or maybe even more than we teach him. Here is another lesson his life has taught us. Always, always look for the light. The light shines brightest in the darkest places. And possibly, after finding that light, be the light for someone else.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness had not overcome it. John 1:5