Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Faces

Olivia’s drawing faces these days. Faces that are a circle with two eyes, a mouth and hair.

Last year one of the goals was to get her to draw stick people with five distinct body parts. She wouldn’t even try that at the time.

We’re on our way now, though. Or, wait, she’s on her way. I can’t take any of the credit for what she’s doing other than the fact that I often hand her a pen or pencil and a pad of paper while I’m cooking dinner so she’ll stay off the kitchen floor and out from under my feet.

Olivia loves drawing faces these days. Whenever we ask her to draw Alyssa, she writes and A and then puts the face in the little space above the line. Alyssa loves that her face is always in the shape of an A.

When O draws what she says is my mom, she draws a circle and then puts a line down the middle, claiming that Gram is now butt cheeks. I know, but what can you do?

This whole special needs thing, even almost six years in, is a learning curve. It is for all of us.

So often, I forget that Olivia has special needs. She’s just my second born daughter, my baby, my older daughter’s younger sister. She’s the girl who walked later than her peers and talked later than they did. But she’s walking and talking now just as well as those who did it a year before she did.

I think I’ve always downplayed her disability. In fact, this might be the first time I’ve ever even used that word. Basically that’s because I don’t think of Olivia as disabled. In my mind, she’s delayed but I’ve never really believed there is anything she won’t do if she decides she wants to do it. Obviously, this is within reason. I mean, hell, Alyssa might decide she wants to be an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, but I’m honestly not sure she has the natural talent to make that happen no matter how hard she trains.

The same goes for Olivia. There might be things she wants to do but just doesn’t have the aptitude to do. I know that no matter how hard I worked, I will never be a concert pianist. I don’t have a musical talent for such grand dreams.

But I will always allow my girls to dream and pursue those dreams. Even as I gently attempt to keep them grounded in reality. It’s a tough line that I’m sure I won’t always be able to walk.

1 comment:

gabrielle frankie said...

pursue every dream that feels real. you will make it real if you pursue and continue to believe. God bless you being such a realist believer. I love you. leslie