“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” — Alexander Graham Bell
Before becoming a parent, we all dream about the experience. We think about the things we will do, the places we will go, and what we will share. When you are a parent of a child with special needs, you remember the day that the door to many of these things closed. You remember your feelings, your sense of loss, and the myriad of emotions that swirled through your being.
It is common to look at the closed door for too long–to get stuck on what we wanted, what we expected. But with anything in life, you need to look at this as another chapter. You are moving onto a new chapter of your book of life and what goes onto those pages is only limited by your imagination.
For those of us who have been on this special needs journey for a number of years, we start to see the light. Our denial becomes acceptance. Our frustrations change to satisfaction. Our anger changes to calmness. Our guilt turns to determination. Our sadness evolves into joy. This is not to say that we still don’t experience these emotions–sometimes. But through time, life is put into perspective.
Overtime, parents of children with special needs see new doors that have been opened. For me, that door was S-O-S Research and this blog. Others have had different experiences. I have written about parents who have stepped through their new doors. Marla Roth-Fisch is now an author and an illustrator. Yvonne Pierre is an author, advocate, business owner, and radio personality. Anara Midgett shares her experiences, ideas, and discoveries on her blog able2able…Your Special Needs Resource Directory.
As a parent of child with special needs, you don’t have to start a business, write a book, or develop a blog. For some parents the new door may be advocating for their child in school, and thus paving the way for others. For other parents, it may be sharing their experiences and what they have learned with parents who are new to this journey.
This past Monday, Vicki Hill, a parent of an adult son with special needs, introduced this topic of doors closing and new doors opening. She has years of experience with the special needs community. Her new door opened opportunities to work with adults with autism, improve access to healthcare, and advance resources for mental illness. If you haven’t already read her story, please take a look.
Vicki has inspired me to invite other parents to share their experiences. What door has opened for you? Your story can be incredibly motivating and helpful to parents who are dealing with a new diagnosis for their child. Show others how your life has changed for the better and possibly inspire and give hope to another parent of a child with special needs!
Please contact me at info@sos-research.com to share your story.
About Danette Schott, M.A.
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