Embrace the simple coincidences… Synchronicities
Remember when you were little and your parents would remind you to say please and thank you? That is exactly what you need to do to create a fulfilling life.
Sometimes the reality of having an additional needs child is overwhelming and can put you in a state of “why me?”. The truth is, this is your journey and until you embrace it, it’s going to be uncomfortable.
Embracing it may seem unbearable even unrealistic. However, when you acknowledge where you are and how difficult or challenging it maybe, you create a space and an opportunity to allow yourself to see the exact opposite. You allow yourself to see the possibility of making it what you want.
How do you do that? I’ll give you a concrete example. My son was ill. More so than usual, congested coughing, extremely snotty nose. After taking a warm bath and being freshly showered he sneezed and all his snot was running down his face. He sat there as if he did not know what to do. Waiting for someone to help and wipe his face. I immediately demanded that he get a tissue and do it independently. I remarked how there are children who don’t have both hands or both legs and would feel blessed to be able to take care of themselves and would wish to be able to have the health that he does and the capability to wipe their own nose so easily. I looked at him and reminded him that God made him perfectly and that he needed to embrace the opportunity to get up and blow his own nose. I realize I was giving him much tough love, so I needed to soften it a bit. Once he actually did blow his nose, I looked at him smiled and said, “You make me proud! That is you being independent! When you do that, you shine!” I remarked. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel handicapped don’t give your power away!” I said to him. “Shine so that you encourage others to shine as you do.”
The next day I realized after watching a Cars movie, that Lightning McQueen remarks to his competitor “You are the Thunder” His competitor asks why am I the thunder?” and Lightning replies because “I’m the lightning before the thunder.” From that point forward I told my son that he is the lightning before the thunder and that’s how he shines. We happen to be listening to some music and Imagine Dragons came on, “Thunder” was playing and again I reminded him, you are the lightning before the Thunder.
It is these simple coincidences, synchronicities that once brought together make quite the impact.
As an additional needs parent we can often be overwhelmed with the task at hand of what we are trying to accomplish for ourselves and for our children. There’s a famous Chinese proverb, “A walk of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Here’s mine: we cannot eat a whole plate of dinner without taking a bite at a time. Remember, when these little synchronicities come about say, “thank you” by acknowledging them. I promise you, you may not be wealthy, but you will be very, very rich.
