Seven

Recently, I was playing around with the settings on this blog, and decided to change the Archives on the right side to a "hierarchy" setting (a setting that shows the years and numbers of posts instead of the scroll down menu I was using.) I thought to myself that showing the years of entries that I've typed into this website would make me look like a more accomplished writer. Like a more reputable blogger since I've been doing it for a few years. Then, I counted the years listed on the Archives section. Seven years. And it hit me. Our little girl is going to be seven years old.


As we began this journey with Jenelle when she was just six months old it was hard to imagine age seven. Instead of seeing all the entries I've made here as a testimony to my own personal writing skills, I realized that we are looking at the very seconds, minutes, days, months and years of Jenelle's life. In seven years, we have had heartache, denial, acceptance, tears, happiness and triumph. Every letter, every comma, every word and every paragraph is a moment in her life.

Sharing her life on this blog, with all the positives and negatives, has been such a blessing. Writing has always been therapeutic for me, but knowing that Jenelle's story brings hope to others makes me feel like the heartache is worth it somehow. I hope you all know that sharing her with you helps me cope, and helps me survive.

I've always been an optimistic, glass half full type of person. You can't teach that kind of attitude, sometimes you just have to be born with it. But a positive attitude helps one survive raising a child with special needs. And instead of dreading the worst, we celebrate the best. Because you have to realize that Jenelle's life is a gift to us all. She is a miracle, and I couldn't be more proud.