Gratitude.

Edda graduates soon (next Monday to be exact) and I find myself reflecting on her, us, our family, our life together today. I’m so proud of our little family – when Edda was diagnosed at 2, I really didn’t think we’d make it (whatever that means), but here we are, almost 20 years later, still together, still laughing, still crying, still muddling through. It wasn’t quite what I imagined it would be on our wedding day, but no one really lives out whatever they believe on their wedding day. I feel so lucky to have matched well with Jeremy and my kids, who , in their own ways, are well matched to me.

I’m grateful for Mont. Co. Public Schools for pulling their weight over and over again – not only for finely educating me and my brother, but now, also my children. Vince, in the regular way, and Edda in the special needs way. They went above and beyond for both children, but we are especially grateful for all the special needs teams that taught and cared for Edda for many, many years. All very dedicated and hard working professionals who deserve all the credit.

Grateful for the many years of after-school camp activities that was paid for by the state – Celebrate Ability up to the pandemic and then, most appreciatively Renoxx who picked up (heroically) after the pandemic.

And then, all our in-home caregivers…I hope I can remember them all – Yvonne, Eliana, Denise, Se-Hyun, Nat, Keyla, Ning, Kitachi, Isabella, Adriana, Tri, and Ginny, many of them still friends and so much love and care to Edda and to us as well. To have a disabled kid and having help in the house means that you are always sharing your life and your house with other people and it has it’s challenges, but also brings the world to us. We’ve been very, very lucky.

Also, to her summer camp program at JCC which has had the same director the entire time – countless high schoolers who’ve been Edda’s camp counselors over the years – now really, I won’t be able to remember their names at all, all who made Edda’s summers fun and full of swimming!