Fostering Independence

Today I read a t-shirt that said: "Give me what I need to do it myself." As parents, this means teaching our children to be self-sufficient. Independence creates self-esteem in all people. People with handicaps need high self-esteem, too. So, as parents, we need to work hard to "give them what they need to do it themselves." In our house, this started with getting Andrew a motorized wheelchair at an early age (4) and working with his therapists to constantly improve his driving. It also means fighting with insurance to get an automatic door opener installed, so Andrew can get himself into and out of the house safely and independently. TV remotes, computer enhancements, closet organizers, special drawer pulls, a telephone headset and even reorganizing my kitchen cabinets so Andrew can access his utencils directly. These are all essential actions our family must constantly undertake to help Andrew help himself. Our educational consultants just told us we can actually have someone come into the home and school and analyze what else can be done to help us make progress in our quest. The list is endless, apparantly. What's on yours?

Oh Canada!

Like many families across the globe, ours tuned into the Olympic Games last night. We anxiously awaited the outcome of the Mens Freestyle Skiing. I was a fan of the cute, rich and mysterious Canadian-turned-Australian, Dale Begg-Smith. But then everything changed. I watched Alexandre Bilodeau move flawlessly through the course and await his score. I watched the camera pan the crowd, and even commented to our son, Andrew, "look, that man seems to have cerebral palsy," referring to someone in the crowd watching the competition. Behold, Bilodeau wins the gold medal and dedicates it to his brother, Frederic, who has struggled with CP for decades and inspired him in countless ways. What a victory for so many people. What a special moment for these brothers.