Chynna's Pearls: Always Looking On the Bright Side of Life

Blessings. The "little" things. Angels on Earth. I believe all of these things help us through life. Unexpected people you meet or events make us look to the positive side of life and help get us through the tougher times.

Today was my Parent SPD Info session at our local library. I had to re-schedule the session from June because I had too much going on then...alot of illness in our house. With one of our brightest and hottest days of the summer so far, and with the Ex in town, I really didn't expect a huge turnout. Honestly, I wasn't even sure whether to go through with it. But I thought, "No. It doesn't matter if just one or two people show up. Getting information passed on to just a few people matters."

So I spent the morning doing a few activities with the kids, gave Jaimie a huge helping of her Sensory Diet, then got ready for it. The girls were so cute wanting to dress up in nicer clothes just like Mama! (Jaimie asked if she was going to get to go on stage and perform! HA!) We got there about 25 minutes early and a wonderful young man, named Ben, helped me set up my books, SPDF information sheets and other information. Then I waited. And waited.

Close to 2 when the event was supposed to start, only a couple of people came in. As I started my little speech that I'd written in point form on index cards, a few more showed up. There was a good handful of people. Half way through my rehearsed speech, I tossed my cards aside, noticing a very anxious women sitting in the back, and asked if anyone had any questions. It totally opened up the floor.

"I'm not here to teach you about SPD," I said in part of my speech. "I am here as a parent to share my story with all of you with the hope it will inspire you to do the same. That's what this session is all about: reaching out, exchanging information, asking questions and helping one another along our journey. Because that's what it is...a journey. And we can't go on it without help."

So that nervous woman turned out to be a mom of two children. She came to find out more about SPD and needed guidance. From what it sounded like, her son had sensory issues but specifically something that sounded like auditory processing disorder. Another wonderful woman--I think I'd have to call her a 'Warrior Mama'--shared her own experiences and actually helped me help this other woman. How wonderful is that?

Another pair of ladies were teachers--one regular and another a special needs teacher. They shared their stories of knowing there are kids like our in their classroom and wanting to know what teachers can do to help these children more in the classroom. We gave our perspective from the parents perspective and they gave theirs from the teachers. How phenomenal, and inspirational, is it to have these wonderful teachers come out to learn about SPD, how it effects our kids and their learning, and wanting to know what they can do to help?

But it was one gentleman's presence that touched me the most. He came to my session to learn about something knew, with his daughter. He came to me at the end of it, barely able to speak English, to get more information and to chat. It was what he said to me that meant so much: "I came here with my daughter to teach her that there are others out there who seem different...who may act different...but that they are still people. I teach her that we are all people and that we cannot judge but what we see. What you do here, teaching others about differences and helping them to understand...to accept...is amazing and I thank you. I wish you tremendous success and your daughter (Jaimie was with me) much success too." It took him a long time to get his words out as he barely spoke English. He was tearing up and reached out to shake my hand. Oh, moments like that really teach you what's important, don't they?

I got to chat for a long time with a beautiful and knowledgeable woman after everyone else had left. Ironically, we see the same OT and have had many of the same experiences. It took way, way too long for both of us to get the help our kids needed but we're on the right path now...the 'sensational' journey so many of us are on.

We we finally ended our conversation, I hugged her. I had to. I'm not usually a 'hugger' but it was something that just felt right. It's just so overwhelmingly awesome to meet up with other people who not only understand what we're going through but truly get it because they are on a similar journey.

So, all in all, even though only a handful of people came out, I felt so blessed. Yes, I was a little discouraged at first to see such a small crowd but those people came out because they cared enough to. They wanted to learn and they genuinely cared. Talking with those people filled my heart with so much joy and gave me renewed energy, reminding me of why I'm doing what I'm doing. Although small, I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of people: a teacher, a special education teacher, a SPD 'Warrior Mom', a mom who needed guidance and a wonderful man who came just to learn something new about what other human beings are experiencing. Those people will take what we talked about and, hopefully, share it with one other person they know. That's all it takes...just getting through to one person. On the way home I wondered if that's how Dr. Ayres or Dr. Miller or Carol Stock Kranowitz started out. I wondered if they too wondered why they should bother speaking to small groups, such as mine today. Then I realized if they had...if they'd canceled or didn't bother because numbers were low...we wouldn't be were we are today with our SPD awareness. And that's so inspirational to me.

Thank you to that small crowd for coming out. You are why I continue to do what I can and help me continue to look on the bright side of life.

(The picture above is one of the first we took of baby Sophie when we got to bring her home from the NICU. Xander, who doesn't always relate to others, was the first to greet her and protect her. Today they are the best of friends===even if they fight sometimes. =) )