Spark of the divine in all of us

I wanted to post this picture Lena drew of herself a few months ago.  The first image is how she felt when her arthritis was active.  The second image is how she feels now.  Our rheumatologist has this drawing hanging in her office to show other kids with arthritis.  :)  Lena has been such a trooper through everything, having the best attitude and never complaining (well at least since she started her immuno-suppressive therapy and can move again).  We are very proud of her and also very happy and relieved that she feels like the 2nd image that she drew.

A side note:  we'd just had a fabulous trip to Disney when she drew this picture, hence the Minnie Mouse ears and bow I think.

Being a parent involves so much more than I thought before becoming a mom.  Today we had Lena's special services meeting with our school district team to determine services for next year.  The meeting went really well in my opinion.  I consider myself lucky that we live in the Byram Hills school district and Lena will be cared for as well as she will be next year.

The meeting required numerous "pre-meetings," evaluations, discussions, etc, as any parent with a kid who receives services will know.  It can also be extremely emotional.  One mom I know confided in me that her husband cries at these meetings for their child every year.  I can understand why.  When you have a child your heart somehow lives outside your body!  And then to hear all the committee members discussing him or her and the deficits/ problems they have... it's incredibly hard.  There's also the line you want to walk with getting your child the services they need vs. letting them be as unrestricted and mainstreamed as possible.  Where that line is can be hard for everyone to agree on.  And then there's the difficulty that you have to label your child as a kid with a "disability".  Complicated on all fronts I think, though in Lena's case her services have more to do with supporting her physical development (not academic) and ability to navigate the school safely.

The Torah teaches us, in part of the "Holiness Code:"  "You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.  You shall fear your God:  I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:14).  I see this verse relating to how all of us treat other children with special needs.  I'm incredibly proud of Lena in how she has befriended kids of all sorts in preschool.  She has a friend who has some delays, and she told me that he doesn't talk very much so "it's okay, I just give him lots of hugs instead."  This I believe is part of Lena's character intrinsically, but it's also part of the Jewish values that we teach her.  People come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities.  All of us have a bit of God inside of us, and everyone deserves love, respect, and the ability to grow and thrive.  It's my hope that all of us, no matter in what circumstances we live, embrace the differences in the people around us, and let that spark of the divine in all of us shine forth.