A Tiny Bit About Me

I was listening to one of my playlists just now and a song came on that brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. I wanted to share a bit about my experience with everyone.

I have been blessed with three wonderful children. Kaitlyn - 16, Kara - 11, and DJ who would have been 13 this year. He passed away in April of 2003, one week before his 6th birthday. He was my shining angel then, today he is my guardian angel.

Born weighing 1.5 lbs, 15 weeks early, he shouldn't have lived minutes, much less blessed us with 6 years of joy and amazement. He was the embodiment of unconditional love. He was a socialite, a class clown, and a manipulating little boy. No, I'm not being mean, just honest.

We went through many years of every kind of therapy you can imagine: physical, speech, occupational - at 18 months old we had him on horses. He balked at first, cried until the therapist took him off the horse and hugged him. While she was feeling bad for him, he was looking at me with - well, there are no other words to describe it - a shit-eating grin and a gleam in his eyes. I had to tell the therapist to put him back on the horse and make him ride. The very next week, he didn't shed one tear...in fact, he laughed the whole way.

He and Kaitlyn attended the same school from the time he was three until he passed away. Each morning, she would push him to his classroom. After a couple of weeks, her girl classmates were fighting over who would help her take him to class. He giggled and convinced several to let him coast down a slight decline in the hall on the way to his room. Bad thing, the principal stood there and laughed.

DJ was considered to have a mild disability that mainly affected his gross motor skills. He could roll, crawl, talk plain as day, write, and was considered cognitively age appropriate. His wheelchair became known as his "car" to the kindergarten class he attended part day. Every child at Paramount Terrace Elementary School accepted him just like he was one of them. His teachers let him run over him because he had a smile that would bring you to your knees. My mother-in-law thought I was horrible for putting him in time out when he bit his little sister.

There is never a single day that goes by that I don't think about him. Time has lessened the pain but has amplified the memories. He was a shining beacon of life and now he is my reminder of how truly precious life is. He is the example I use of acceptance...DJ never met a stranger and we never dealt with the prejudice that can accompany people with disabilities.

My family is filled with people from every make of life. Different races, religious and political beliefs, sexual preferences, disabilities, different stages of lunacy, and anything else you can imagine. Through it all, we love each other and encourage courteous and thoughtful discussions. I always encourage questions that are asked in good taste. Well articulated and factual debates are a great chance to learn about other peoples opinions. Remember that all people are allowed their opinion, you don't have to agree, but you should always respect. People are people...simple as that. No labels...just people.

Anyway...the name of the song is God's Will by Martina McBride. Watch the video...it's amazing.