Jake’s birthday is coming up in a month; he will be 5 years old. I have never planned a birthday party for him in the past, since birthdays were always bitter sweet. When he was one, I was still so naive about his condition, and had no idea what was ahead of us; When he was two, I was much more aware of the severity of his developmental delay, and I was frantic in searching for every therapy out there, while still holding on to the hope that one day, he will be “normal”; When he was three, I went through a period of depression, and some nights I saw no light at the end of the tunnel; When he was four, I began to realize that life has to go on in spite of Jake’s disabilities, but I still didn’t know how. Then I started this blog because I wanted to remind myself out loud, in words where everyone can read, that I want to and must celebrate my son for who he is, disabilities and all.
In a month Jake will be 5, I feel like I have come a long way. I can now walk into a park full of children running and playing without falling apart; I can now tell the psychologist who evaluated Jake that I don’t care if he labels Jake mentally retarded, because a label does not define who Jake is, not yesterday, not today, and certainly not tomorrow.
So this year, I am planning a birthday party for Jake, and if you would like to join the party, just let me know!
Jake’s birthday is coming up in a month; he will be 5 years old. I have never planned a birthday party for him in the past, since birthdays were always bitter sweet. 