A Special Needs-Mom’s Prayer
by admin on June 2, 2009
in autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, motherhood, special needs
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the blessing of my children. I love them with all my heart, but I think you picked the wrong person.
There’s not enough hours in a day to take care of them, to give them the therapy they need, keep them clean and filled with activities and healthy snacks, do housework, spend time with my husband, work full time and find fulfillment.
What am I missing?
Everyone says, “You have your hands full!” when a tantrum breaks out or clothes are peed on.
No one gets that I feel like this is my fault.
I never expected to have the children with the perfectly coiffed hair, or the most well-behaved at home, or never have to discipline for a random smack or push.
I just never expected to feel so completely like a failure when I’m trying my very best all the time.
My prayer today, Lord, is the same as every night:
Give me the tools, the wisdom, the patience to be the best parent I can be, and give my children the mental skills they require to learn the proper behavior. Give me peace and rest and serenity, and give them tenacity, willingness, and respect. Give me a time out when I need it, as I do for them. Give me the trust and the hope that “this too shall pass” and give them the possibility that they will grow into strong, good, honest and faithful women through my and my husband’s parenting.
Give me the confidence to see this through so that I can raise confident girls as well.
This is lovely, Gina. Thanks for giving voice to all of us mothers doing our very best to raise children with special needs.
And let me assure you — I worry just as much or more that my typical (but easily bored) son will embarrass me at those kinds of events. He usually does, and my Girly Girl never does.
This is lovely, Gina. Thanks for giving voice to all of us mothers doing our very best to raise children with special needs.
And let me assure you — I worry just as much or more that my typical (but easily bored) son will embarrass me at those kinds of events. He usually does, and my Girly Girl never does.
Hi Katrina! Well, no, my girls have never embarrassed me actually. Nothing they do makes me feel weird, it’s only other people’s reactions that make me feel weird. So if I feel embarrassed, I try to remember to be embarrassed for those judgmental critics who think they get it. And maybe say a prayer for them too, because karma is a bitch! LOL…
Well, boys do embarrassing things more easily than girls, maybe that our sense of shame is higher, once we develop it, that is. Dealing with nudist 3 year old at present, lol..
Hi there, I also have 2 girls. I’m also raising a special needs child…she’s blind….so I was just browsing blogs and came across yours! Check mine out too!
Hi Jennifer, welcome! You have a great blog. I’ll link it here when I get a chance.
Wow! I love this prayer. It expresses exactly what I feel like many days…
Thank you Amalia! Hope to have more for you…