A Letter to the Mother of my Children
Rebecca Shayler-Adams
We are just a typical family muddling along our day to day lives. 4 kids, 1 with autism, 1 with an unknown neuromuscular condition
I watch you in the morning, as all the children come in and just lay on you watching TV, each with their own spot.
Each getting the attention they need.
Our baby leaning on you as today she isn’t strong enough to sit independently, our son sitting by your feet so he is just touching you so that you know he is there and he knows your with him.I watch as our other two are in their spots, so you can play with our eldest daughters hair and can chat away to our youngest son quietly as to not disturb the others.
I watch as you know where all the children are even when you're in the bath.
You know what each one needs without even seeing their faces.
I see you as you just get to sit down after getting in from a shift at work and instantly having to get up again as one of the children needs you.I watch as you as you effortless pick up toys and clothes while telling the children what to do next on their homework pieces.
I see you calmly replacing the children’s dinners as their favourite meal from last week is now one they can’t even tolerate looking at.
I see you as you hold our baby during painful examinations and tests.
I see you holding back tears as our baby screams as she doesn’t know what is going on.
I see you researching ways you can make our babies life easier, new therapists that could help, new research programmes we could go on.
I see you as you run when our daughter falls down in yet another paralysis episode.
I see you rush to our daughters side as her face turns blue and she can’t breathe as she has laughed a little too much.
I see you tired as our son has had too much on his mind and couldn’t shut down last night and so kept you up all night talking about rectangles (one of his obsessions).
I see you as you struggle to hold back tears or when you are jumping around the room in pure joy and excitement.
I see you!
You put your life and soul into this family. You know all the children’s needs and will make sure all of them are met.You are an inspiration and I wish you knew how much you mean to me and our children.