Celebrate! New guest blogger Becky Hallberg has learned to celebrate special needs victories–even the small ones–as she homeschools her three children, one of whom experiences sensory deficits. Today she introduces DifferentDream.com readers to her family and talks about what they’re celebrating.

Celebrate Special Needs Victories!

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
-Albert Camus

This is my favorite time of the year. The long days of summer have passed; the cold, East coast winter has not set in yet. It’s still warm enough to get outside to enjoy the sunshine on our faces.  And the deep, warm colors are appearing everywhere we look—pumpkins, trees, shrubs, plants. Beautiful!

Celebrate Autumn

In our home, autumn brings with it a natural slowing down of life. We have settled into the new school year after a few bumpy weeks. The days begin to get shorter and we start to note, sometimes daily, how soon the evening comes. We seem to buy more hot cocoa at this time of year, preparing for cool, crisp nights and brisk mornings. I can’t bear to turn the heat on, not yet. Soon enough it will go on and warm our home, but for now you’ll find us snuggled under blankets, putting on a pair of socks and enjoying the last few days of keeping the windows open.

Celebrate the Past Year

This is the time of year when people begin to reflect back on the year. For some it’s been long, for others it seems to have passed too quickly. Yet it seems that we all take some time, during autumn, to reflect and remember. With each leaf that changes color, with each vibrant color of fall plant, we pause and realize that we are one moment closer to finishing another year.

We deal with special needs in our home, and this has taught us so many things. One of the most important, though, is that each moment is special, and each victory is worth celebrating, not just for this son, but for all of our children! As I reflect on the year our kids have had, I’m always amazed—so many noteworthy remembrances. They are learning and growing remarkably well, they are all healthy, all have their special interests and are pursuing those, all are showing spiritual growth and depth. I cannot ask for more!

Celebrate Small Victories

As I consider, particularly, our son with special needs, a wonderful thought occurs to me. We have intentionally focused on celebrating every small victory for him and for our other two children. Every one of them. Because of that, my heart is full.  As I pause and look around at each warm, vibrant shade of autumn, I am overwhelmed—each changing leaf, each lovely shade of autumn, represents a warm memory of our year. Maybe it was a pronouncement of physical health by our favorite pediatrician; maybe it was a new skill learned and mastered; maybe it was a kindness extended to another. We’ve come a long way and every autumn gives me a chance to reflect in that and to enjoy the warm remembrances that fill my heart!

Celebrate Your Family

Thank you, Becky, for reminding us to celebrate special needs victories, even the small ones. How about you? Did you think of something to celebrate? Please leave a comment so we can celebrate with you.

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