Kids With Special Needs: Why, ‘Mama!’ Seems To Be The Hardest Word!
Kasia Thompson
I live in Staffordshire in the UK with my husband and our son Leon who was diagnosed with spastic diplegia Cerebral Palsy when he was 1 years old.
Mother's Day is a day to be treasured. A day to appreciate your mother for all that she selflessly does and has done for you.
If you are a mother yourself, it is a day to bask in the awesomeness of what you have achieved.
To bring life into this world must be the hardest thing to be asked of anyone!
We celebrated Mother's Day in the UK in March, in the US and many other countries it was celebrated just last Sunday.
On both occasions, I felt myself feeling a little apprehensive and well, a little sad.
As my mum friends around the world will no doubt have been showered in love and hugs, all I really wanted from this one day is to hear someone - preferably a child of mine - call me, 'Mama'.
That may sound depressing to some or even ungrateful to others, my child lived and believe me I know how lucky I am!
I don't need validation, I know I am doing a good job of raising my as yet non-verbal 3 year old son with cerebral palsy and 5 month old baby girl.
It just so happens that this year, it will be unlikely that I hear those words.
That's not to say that they don't show me they love me in other ways.
In the early hours of the morning, when I'm feeding my baby girl for the fourth time that night and she looks deeply into my eyes and smiles, that's enough.My son may not be able to tell me that he loves me but when he's crying (his most effective way of communicating) and he reaches out to me - in that one moment - I'm all he needs or wants.
Not Daddy or Grandma, but me.
In that moment I hear the words, 'Mama, I love you,' in my heart.
As a special needs parent you learn to celebrate the little things, so that's what we do as a family.
Next year, I will most likely get my wish. My little girl calling me, 'Mama'. I will cherish that moment as much as my desire to hear those words from my eldest born, my beautiful boy.Don't just celebrate the amazing mothers in your life on one or two days a year, make sure to spread the love all year round and don't forget to cherish the little things.
