Trust

You know what? I don’t think about 5p- very often. It doesn’t really affect our world much unless I’m thinking about Olivia at school. Then…I get antsy and worry about how 5p- is affecting her, how it’s making her life harder than her peers.

But at home? When we’re out and about? Not so much. I see my girls together and I don’t think, “Oh, there are my girls, the typical ten year old and the six year old with 5p-.”

Nope, I just see Lyss and Liv and think about how lucky I am that they are mine. Then I get all sentimental and embarrass them by hugging them at the bus stop. Or I get silly and ask them if I can keep them forever.

They roll their eyes at me, sharing a look that says, “Oh yeah, our mom is so weird!”

I love that. I love their relationship and how it’s not defined by Olivia’s syndrome. They’re sisters. Alyssa gets very annoyed by her little sister, just like any other ten year old who has to put up with a six year old would.

Last night at gymnastics, I watched through the window as Olivia did most of what the other four girls in her class did. She needed a little more physical help than the others and she didn’t actually talk to her coach but she communicated in her own way. She nodded or shook her head in response to questions, she held out her hand when she wanted help. She did it.

I loved seeing all that. I hope she does the same thing at school. I hope her teachers at school can see her communication attempts as well as the gymnastics coach did.

I know I have to have faith in her school team. I have to trust them to have her best interests at heart, to know that they want her to succeed as much as I do.

Maybe I need to remember my own advice to Alyssa earlier this week. The teachers are on our side. They want what we want, for all the students to succeed, to help them do their best.

Trust is so necessary and sometimes, so hard to come by. I'm trying to let go of some of my worry and trust. Trust in these people who have my child with them seven hours a day, five days a week. Deep breath.