What's A Special Momma?

Don't get me wrong. Every momma is special. Especially if you love your children and do your best to care for them. However, not every momma leads a special momma's life. What is a special momma life? It is when you are the momma of a child with special needs.

You see parenting a child with special needs is different from parenting a "normal" child. The requirements are different and the experiences are different. The way you do things don't follow conventional wisdom most of the time and you are required to be a problem solver with the most basic of tasks. When you are the momma of a child with special needs you quickly learn that it's not just your child who has special needs but rather you have discovered that you do too.

Every challenge, struggle, or difficult task your child experiences you experience to. Your heart breaks each time you see your child rejected, feeling left out, or struggling to do something other children take for granted. You cheer louder than others when they accomplish a milestone and you wait more patiently for the next one. You push yourself to the brink of exhaustion and then a little farther all in the effort to make something, anything, easier for your child.

You look for companions in your world of motherhood but find that they are few. You long for friendships of others who will say "I get it. I understand. I will cheer with you and I will give you my shoulder when you need it. You are not in this alone." However, more often than not you are left on the outer edge of the motherhood club as most cannot begin to fathom the life that you lead and mistake the need for compassion and encouragment as a desire for sympathy.

This is what it means to lead a special momma's life. But even with all of these challenges, struggles, and differences, you know you wouldn't trade it for the world. Because at night when you tuck that angel into bed and get the last smile of the day, the goodnight kiss, or squeeze of the hand you know that you are ment to be a Special Momma.