Payoff

Sometimes it feels like we’re putting so much effort into our kids and it’s not making any measurable difference.  On this Flash Forward Friday, I want to share a recent payoff for my own hard work.

Some of you may remember the April break book.  We had a different adventure each day of the week and we created a book for Mikey to share when he returned to school. Here’s the link if you want to check out the post.

That week was a long, tiring undertaking. I truly can’t believe we had the energy to get through the whole thing…but I kept the book in Michael’s room and recently, he spent some time looking back through his old adventures.

He was so happy to have this keepsake, and he enjoyed his book for a while, quietly on his own.

There was a time when I worried that he would never do anything independently except watch TV.

I worried that I wouldn’t have the energy to make it through the whole caregiver journey.

But now that I am close to the finish line, I can tell you – there will be payoffs. You will see growth and relief over time.  It may come in the form of your child’s skill development, medical breakthroughs in pharmaceutical options, societal breakthroughs in understanding the respite care needed for families or increases in your own skills to allow for a more manageable schedule.

I can’t tell you exactly how this life will get easier for you, and I can’t promise it will be a straight line, but I can tell you that your hard work will lead to payoffs…for your child, for you and for the broader world.  Keep at it, my friends!!