Can I just say I am excited! Oh my goodness! I never ever expected this day to arrive… So the fact that it’s here and it’s real is blowing my mind. Let me back up a few minutes… The leadership class at my daughters high school (Arlington High School) is hosting their first ever Special Prom. The theme is Beauty and the Beast and rumor has it beauty a.k.a. Belle and the Beast are going to be attending!! What a special treat!

Soon after Tiffanie was born and I began to see and understand the severity of how and what her future day to day looked like and how life appeared it was going to go for her for the rest of her life, I took it upon myself to predict how her life was going to be and what her future held. Attending a prom, whether it’s special or not, was never on my radar for her. Just like getting married, going to college, having children, driving a car, and living independently have not been on my radar for her. I have had plenty of moments of grief over the loss of those events for her as I wanted those life experiences for her just like any parent desires those things for their children.

When the flyer came home in her backpack that day and I read they were hosting this event; I was speechless!

My first thoughts were, “Are you serious? Are you kidding me…? This is SO COOL!””

And then immediately, and full of sadness, I will admit my knee-jerk response was , “Well I’m sure Tiff will not be attending -she’ll just hide and hate every minute”.

Shame on me for that!

Shortly there after I began to think and ponder and I thought maybe she should go. Why could she not attend? She should be attending! Why do I put limits on my own daughter as to what she should and shouldn’t do. I should give her the freedom to decide for herself. I get so worried that it will stress her out and all of her anxiety and sensory issues will kick in and then what? Well, then, she will go and sit in a chair or on the floor and watch. And that will be that. She will be just fine and it will be what it will be. Oh but how that constant urge and instinct to protect her, advocate for her, and set up those healthy boundaries that I know she needs kicks in – I think its called being a Mom.

Once I relaxed and took a breath, Tiffy and I had a chat and she said she really wanted to attend. So we began the quest to find a dress. I asked around and had plenty of offers for prom dresses from my friends, which was fantastic and very sweet! However, we decided to look around online and Tiff picked out her own dress. It’s a beautiful pink party dress as you can see from the picture. Nothing I would’ve chosen for her as she’s not generally a “pink” type of girl. When the dress arrived earlier this week we tried it on and it fit her perfectly as if it were meant to be.

Sigh…..Have I mentioned that I’m EXCITED?!

To say thank you to the Leadership class wouldn’t even begin to express my gratitude. Being a parent of a child who has developmental delays, as well as a host of other issues to overcome, all while trying to live with them and do it as gracefully as possible, can be challenging at times. Going out in public, to the grocery store, to the mall, or to a sporting event always presents itself with “looks” and sometimes snares and then the proverbial and repetitive “what’s wrong with that girl“? I used to get super upset and hurt when I would hear those whispers going around. Now I turn those whispers into opportunities. Opportunities to be more personable with others and to explain to them things about Tiff they otherwise wouldn’t know or understand had I not spoken up. My hope and heart in doing so is to bridge the gap between what looks “weird” versus what looks “normal”. I want that division to go away and I want the judgment to go away. I don’t know if it ever will but the most I can do is my best each and every day to help build that bridge.

Arlington High School Leadership class of 2019, THANK YOU!! Thank you for including kids that most of the time are forgotten in our society. Thank you for making them feel valued, important, and loved. Thank you for investing your time in to them. Thank you for taking the time to understand them right where they are today. Thank you for helping to build that bridge and narrow that gap. What a beautiful gift you have given today to these amazing kids, their parents, and caretakers.