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How My Son With a Disability Reminds Me It's OK to Take Our Time

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Every morning I wake my son up at 5:45 a.m. and push him to hurry, hurry, hurry. He needs to be able to make the bus at 6:45 a.m. Mornings are not his thing. The ability to hurry is something that seems to have been left out in his DNA coding. At least it seems that way, and I’ve had various teachers and therapists nod their heads in agreement with me.

This morning as I snuck back to bed while he was in the shower for a few minutes, the thought that pressed on my mind was, “I need to tell him to hurry up. He’s already been there for 20 minutes.”

But then I stopped. There was singing in the shower. He was happy. He was calm.

This is not something that usually happens during our mornings. He’s not usually happy and singing. He’s moving like a sleepy turtle that can barely walk and often refuses to head into the shower. Mornings find me prodding and pulling him along, begging, bribing. All in an attempt to get him to school and on time.

I looked at the clock. He had 30 minutes until the bus arrived. I could give him 10 more minutes in the shower. He had time. I could calm down my urge to make him rush.

Those of us with children with disabilities can often find we are rushing them. Trying to get to appointments on time, trying to make developmental milestones, trying desperately to get everything accomplished we need to in the very short 24 hours we are given.

Today made me pause. It made me say to myself, “Breathe. It’s been a good week. It’s OK to take your time this morning. He’s going to make it.” I don’t do that enough.

For this morning, I give thanks.

A version of this story originally appeared on An Ordinary Mom.

Getty image by fcscafeine

Originally published: November 26, 2018
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