Searching for words to make sense of a diagnosis

I've seen lots of great quotes for parents of special needs children. I couldn't completely agree with any of them so I decided to write my own. We endure lots of struggles that most people will never understand. It's hard to explain your fears to someone who has never experienced handing their baby to a complete stranger in hopes that they will save their life. As I was writing my blog I came up with "I was unaware of my strength, ingenuity, and fortitude until I was blessed with a special needs child. I will forever be their advocate." This was absolutely perfect for me. It won't fit everyone but it's perfect for me. I found the strength I didn't know I had while dealing with my son's diagnosis. I had no other choice but to use ingenuity to solve the problems that came up while taking care of my son. I found a huge amount of fortitude within myself that kind of made me feel like a super hero. About a week after my son's diagnosis I decided to be the best advocate that anyone ever met. I was going to personally pave the way to a better future for our children. I vowed to my son and myself to make a difference. I remember someone telling me "if you can help one parent, that's plenty." That's a great way to look at life in general. If telling your story or sharing some wisdom helps one person, that's plenty. 

Your past does not dictate your future.

As we grow older we start to reflect on our past. You can either continue being a victim or choose to be a survivor. Stop focusing on those terrible memories from your past. They are in the past for a reason. Leave them there. They are just a reminder of how far you come. Smile at the memories and be proud of yourself. You made it this far, now the sky's the limit. You are in charge of your destiny. Your past does not dictate your future. Your past was only a lesson and now you get to use that lesson to make your life better.  

Smile and be happy, you got this!