Count your blessings!

Following on from yesterday's post, here are my Top 10 Blessings:

1. Husband
I love him. And he loves both me & our son, despite his disability. He's been the provider for this family. Marriage is hard work. Parenting comes without a manual. Having a special child adds a different dimension to the challenges of marriage and parenting. Divorce rates are higher amongst families that have special needs children. My husband is still around caring for us & loving us. He's not shirked his responsibilities. He's loyal & faithful. Isn't that great?

2. God
God loves me (& us) far more than I will ever be able to fanthom. God has been real in my life. He knows our needs & have provided. With God, nothing is impossible. He continues to work in mysterious ways. May He be merciful & continue to shower his blessings upon us.

3. Helper
We have such a reliable helper. A fast learner, she has picked up many therapy techniques & intricacies of handling my son. With her around, I can rest when I desparately need to. I can prepare teaching materials while she feeds him, plays with him. She does have a genuine concern for my son, ever so patient, seeing to his needs.

4. Financial resources
My husband has been excellent in taking care of the financial planning aspect. Through his abilities he has ensured that we are comfortable. We are able to afford the therapies & medical support that my son needs. I am able to take on the full time job of being the primary caregiver & teacher to my son.

5. Mobility
I can drive. My husband has provided me with a car. I can freely take my son for his therapy sessions, to the park, to the shops, to hospital, to visit friends & at a later stage, to his kindergarten.

6. My son
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing him progress & grow. His laughter is an instant pick-me-up. I love to smell his hair. I still remember how I thought he was the cutest baby amongst the other newborns. He challenges me to be a better person.

7. Home
We have a beautiful home. We're surrounded by trees. We've squirrels, monkeys, the odd iguana, kingfishers, woodpecker & jungle fowl visiting. Fireflies add a certain magic to the evenings. It's peaceful. I'm so grateful to my dad.

8. Support network
His speech therapist & cranial sacral therapist are so understanding, so loving & been instrumental in his progress. His music teacher sees beyond his disabilities, adapts his technique to accommodate, teaches more than just music. I've learnt much from the seminars organised by FGA Parent Support Group. My prayer support circle being FGA Parent support group, FBC friends, Bee, have upheld us uncountable number of times in their regular prayers (& in response to my panicky smses when my son's sick). My tiny group of friends (Ren, LSH, Elly) who have given me hope, encouragement & a listening ear.

9. Determination
It's been a steep learning curve since his diagnosis. There're the medical terms to get my head around. Much to learn from the therapists. So much to learn in terms of early childhood development - gross motor, fine motor, oral motor, social skills, speech (expressive, receptive), cognitive (maths, reading), creativity (art, music), character building (self esteem, resiliance), sensory integration...it's endless. How do I find out more? Where should I start? How do I apply it? How to prioritise? Often feel that I'm unsure of what I'm doing as a mother. Then there are the other roles of wife, sister, daughter... Thankfully for my son, I've not given up.

10. Opportunities for change
I've had no choice but to change. Change is hard. Change is painful. It's a slow process. Life lessons often repeated. My priorities & focus are different now. I'm surprised I've been so patient with my son. I'm better able to empathise. I've been humbled. I'm learning to let go. I'm still a "work-in-progress"!

I've been so richly blessed & grateful, that I've a desire to be able to bless others in more ways than that which I have received.