by Michelle Lindberg

Created on: January 21, 2007   Last Updated: January 08, 2008

The single greatest blessing of my life has been being the mother of the four most wonderful children on earth. I have a lovely seventeen year-old daughter and three busy, smiling boys who are the center of my universe. To some, my boys may appear to act a little different or make strange noises. Others are not used to seeing a teenage girl sitting in a wheelchair playing with a baby rattle. Nevertheless, they are mine and I could not be happier.

I am used to the covert glances when I take my children out to the shopping mall. Children staring and pointing; adults whispering slyly. I have seen it all. It is more than okay with me. I just find myself standing up a little taller and beaming with pride at the curious onlookers.

It would be nice to imagine this to be an idealized society in which people, especially grown ups, would learn that it is impolite to intentionally draw attention to others who obviously possess some level of disability. If a child of teenage years is making loud noises, not yelling at his parent, it should be obvious to the casual passerby that he probably has a communication disorder. Of course, we know, this is far from a perfect world and all of its inhabitants far from perfect.

Since my three sons are all autistic and non verbal and my daughter has cerebral palsy, confining her to a wheelchair, I quite often hear sympathetic voices claiming to be "sorry for my children" or they "just do not know how I do it." In a nutshell, my children are very happy being just who they are and I am quite content with doing exactly what it is that I do. I believe that God gives each of us a predestined role to play on this earth and that He never gives us more than we are able to bear.

Every morning I wake up with one thought in my mind: "What can I do that will make the most profound change for the better in my children's lives?" With those words echoing through my brain, I am borne aloft throughout the day, knowing that I am making a difference, in some small way, on this planet. You may never read about me in the paper or see me on television, but I promise you, I am making a difference.

I make mistakes constantly. I might forget a scheduled appointment with a therapist because one of the children's home health aids called in sick. Heaven forbid, that I would accidentally skip the "shower time" ritual because I am so worn out at the end of the day. Overall, I do have the inner satisfaction of knowing that I try as hard as I can each day and do better than some would under the circumstances.

Next time that you encounter a harried mother like me with a special needs child, please try to be kind. Even though it is human nature, try not to tell her how sorry you are and above all, please do not ask a lot of questions. Just know that she is just another mom, like you or your own mother, and that she is very proud of that child. So just give her an encouraging smile and keep moving on your way.

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