On My Mom and Dad…
I’ve written a few posts about the love and support we receive from our friends and family. It wasn’t until I started writing about it and receiving feedback that I realized how truly blessed we are. As much as we appreciate every gesture, it took reading comments from other families on the spectrum expressing envy and wishing their family was as supportive to truly drive home how lucky we have been.
On that topic, let me tell you about my Mom and Dad.
Married at 17 and giving birth to me at 19 they have all but grown up with me. The love and respect I have for them as parents is matched only by how much I value their friendship. My Dad was my best man at our wedding. He has been a mentor and my closest friend for most of my life. My Mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and supporter.
Eric’s diagnosis threw a fork in the road for them too. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that fact. But they have been our rock through this entire process, almost instinctively showing up at our door to take the kids for the afternoon at precisely the right moment in time when our nerves are frayed.
Without my parents it would have been impossible for both my wife and I to continue our careers. They are there at the drop of a hat to pick the kids up from school or bring them to their activities. Without my parents the vacations and short get-aways that keep our marriage solid and healthy would be impossible. Without my Mom and Dad this journey with my son would have been a hell of a lot rockier.
And because their support is such a given, I often forget to thank them properly.
Thank you Mom and Dad. I love you.
Jealousy runs through my blood daily because you have them so close and I don't… Thank YOU for thanking them! I love you Jerry!
I am jealous. 🙂 You are blessed to have them so close and to understand things.
Relationships of all shapes and sizes are amazing to me. I don't live close to either of my parents and their new spouses (25+ years for both new relationships). I keep up with them by phone calls and email. We send pictures of our kids and I lament the fact that my kids are growing up without their amazing views on the world. I am jealous that you live close to your parents and your kids have that amazing opportunity to get to know them. Thanks for sharing!
Support is so important when you have a child with special needs. Not every family, however, gets that support from extended family. This is when it is so vital to lean on friends and also make new friends (such as through on-line support communities). It is wonderful that your child has a strong family support system. Thanks for sharing.
You have been blessed 🙂