The Thankful List of This Special Needs Parent

It's the day after Thanksgiving and while I'm feeling thankful and blessed for what we have and all of those things that being around family and feeling accomplished in what food you made and served, I'm still thinking about the "little" things I'm thankful for as a special needs parent.

The things on this list aren't about the grand lessons about life and loving and they aren't about patience and stamina. They are the things that no one tells you that one day you'll appreciate. Well, they are the things I appreciate anyway...

1. I'm thankful my kids take pills and we don't have to depend on those stupid compound liquids. Only refrigerated, sticky when they spill, with sugar incrusted caps and I'm thankful we don't have to carry small coolers and ice packs and wet wipes with us when we're out of the house at a meal time.

2. I'm thankful for jeggings -- jeans and leggings. No buttons, snaps, zippers. My kid can fit in with her peers without having to ask a teacher to button her pants.

3. I'm thankful for front office people in medical offices who smile.

4. I'm thankful for Goober Peanut Butter -- it's premixed and saves time and has protein. 

5. I'm thankful my kid can read a book on his own 6 years after learning to read.

6. I'm thankful for no-tie shoe strings.

7. I'm thankful the kids don't throw-up in the car very often.

8. Fax machines (for referral forms and such).

I do like celebrating Thanksgiving Day but honestly I feel like I'm thankful all year for the big things and the little things.

 

I do in fact get a lot of "Are you the real Julia Roberts?" when I'm on the phone. I'm not. I love diet coke, I'm a night owl and collect vintage photos. I blog at Kidneys and Eyes and am co-founder of the social network, Support for Special Needs. If you tweet, I'm at JuliaRoberts1.