Do Not, I repeat Do Not, lose faith...

I had the joyous opportunity to attend my son's IEP last week complete with his triannual evaluation. My former visits to his IEP meetings often involved skipping life the rest of the day and stopping for ice cream on my way to the skipping.

This year...was quite different...the comments from his teachers were amazing...curious, eager learner, wonderful to have in class...really...it's all paying off? Amazing.

This year since he is 14 we also began to develop his transition plan to adult life, including college. (gasp!) College? My same boy that didn't know his ABC's at the end of kindergarten who is now reading at grade level? Included in his college plan is DeVry or ITT Tech...how cool is that?

Here's the point of this post...when I had a child living in my house that was less than pleasant to say the least, inflexible, tantruming, whining, hitting, putting holes in the door, and on and on it goes, when my relatives were saying positive things to me like, he just really needs a good spanking, or I hope he likes jail when he grows up...(honest these things were said to me) it might have been easy for me to lose the faith. When I was paying $5000 a year for my copayments for his therapy, $6000 a year for private school and running him from this therapy to another...I really wasn't sure it was all going to be worth it. What I did know was I had to do anything and everything I could to save my child, to help my child develop every possible talent and skill he had, no matter what the cost or the sacrifice. God had entrusted this special being to me and it was my responsibility to see to it that he succeed and find his spot in life. It was not easy to say the least, there were many days I was on auto pilot...unable to take a clear look at the condition that was my life...but today...I know it was important for me to not lose faith, faith in me, or faith in him. And yes...it was hard, and yes, it still is some days...but the biggest yes of all, is that it is worth it.