Thursday, September 23, 2010

Delayed

Alyssa had a three-hour delay this morning due to fog.

Those three hours pushed her release time from school from 3:00 to 4:00. Which means that they'll cover most of what they were going to cover anyway, just a little later than they'd have done otherwise.

Back in Olivia's infant years, when I knew something was not quite right but didn't have a diagnosis, her doctor often used the word delayed. I liked that word. I felt like it meant that things were going to happen, they were just going to happen later than is otherwise normal.

In that first year, I used that word a lot. I pushed it hard. Someone would ask what was up with her and I'd say cheerfully, "Oh, she's just physically delayed. But she'll catch up!!"

I was quite chirpy.

I was very careful not to use the word disabled. I didn't even let myself think it.

Even after we got the diagnosis of 5p-, I stuck with delayed. I was just sure Olivia would catch up. I didn't take her doctor's advice and avoid researching the syndrome, though. I just took the information I found and adjusted it to fit Olivia better. Or I sometimes just told myself, "This tidbit doesn't apply to her."

And honestly? She is catching up.

She's much closer to her peers these days than she was even a year ago.

We all have our challenges and I don't delude myself that Olivia won't continue to have hers. But I do know that those challenges won't break her. The delays won't stop her from growing, changing. She's going to keep on doing her thing, in her own time, delayed perhaps but eventually, she'll get there and get it done, like everyone else.

And that makes me pretty darned proud of the bully.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's the word I use! It gives me hope.