A mom on a Facebook page for parents raising special needs children excitedly posted her child finally said his first word. I don’t know what her son’s diagnosis is but at almost five years old he has never spoken, until now.
His first word wasn’t the typical ‘ma ma’ or ‘da da’ but mom didn’t care. He wanted Goldfish Crackers and when he said ‘goldfish’, it was the most beautiful sound her ears have ever heard.
Another mom raved about her ten month old daughter who is finally able to sit up alone. Other parents might post that their ten year old autistic child is potty trained at last or how a child has taken first wobbly steps with leg braces.
These parents are over-the-moon happy and as an online community of support, encouragement and cheerleaders, we celebrate each child’s achievements with thumbs up Likes and comments into double and triple digits.
Parenting a child with special needs means appreciating what others often take for granted. Every milestone, every accomplishment, no matter how small or when it comes, is a victory and blessing that brings with it incredible gratitude. (Read more about my recent experience with this here.)
As the mom of a developmentally disabled adult son, many years of heightened observation and appreciation overlap into other elements of my everyday life.
I find it easy to see the joy and beauty in little things others may miss; the song of a bird, the color of a flower, the pattern on a butterfly wing, the subtle difference in green layers of foliage, the fragrance of an orange blossom, the beauty of a sunset, the satisfaction of a good book, the rapture of incredible music, the tranquility in lingering over a scrumptious meal, the melty goodness of dark chocolate, the uniqueness of people I love, laughter with a friend and peace found in prayer.
All of us are busy; working hard, paying bills, raising families, making decisions, solving problems, chasing fulfillment, living the purpose driven life, but sometimes we need to look up and around and notice the simple gifts God has given us to enjoy.
How much do we miss in the rush to possess, conquer, do, do, do and go, go, go?
Life is not about how fast we go but the moments we enjoy along the way.
In the rush of the every day, stop and take a moment for simplicity. Become intentional about slowing down long enough to notice the magnificent details that are hidden in the rush of accomplishment.
No one enjoys simplicity as much as my son and If Jon has taught me anything, it’s to slow down, take a deep breath and “stop and smell the roses” as the saying goes.
After all, a guy who can turn dinner at a restaurant into a six hour event might know more about enjoying the simple things in life than the rest of us.
Being with him forces me to pause and sniff a few roses. And one thing I know about roses, they may be thorny, but they still smell beautiful!
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” ~ Thor Heyerdahl
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~ Hans Hofmann
Jeremiah 2:25 (The MSG) “Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, ‘I can’t help it. I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’
Psalm 39:5 “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.”