Inspiration

Zoé is sleeping, David is in Florida for the week and I have time to write.
Zoé is exhausted, beat. She had school this morning, then a quick one-hour nap, one full hour of Occupational Therapy, a quick trip home to read a couple books, inhale a snack and run to her bi-weekly speech therapy session.
Last night she had aquatic therapy and it was the first time ever I didn't go into the water with her. I had prepared her for a few days, saying that I wouldn't be able to go with her, and she did great.
I took the opportunity of this 45 minute-reprieve to introduce myself to a wonderfully inspirational mom whom I had noticed the week before.
Her smile told many tales. We shared our kids' diagnoses, since it is always what brings us to these therapy sessions and she told me the tragic story of her little one, who was born healthy, and who at 10 month of age contracted a virus that threw him into a coma with major brain damage. He is now non verbal and is bound to a wheelchair. His mother was truly amazing. She was full of hope for the future, open, candid, brave, and I have to admit I walked out of the pool with a renewed sense of energy, ready to face adversity with an upright chin.
Remember I told myself, focus on what our kids CAN do, not on what they cannot do. She told me her little boy wouldn't be athletic, I told her Zoé would not be a ballet dancer. I have put that book on the shelf, right where it belongs, with neuro-typical kids. Zoé might enjoy African dance where you let your body sway with the rhythmic beats of the African drum, or who knows she might be the next American Idol. Her singing is astounding.
Today, unfortunately she didn't want to let go of me when it was time for her Speech therapy. I had to go in, coax her into performing her sounds: bah, humm, pah, in a toy microphone. It took quite a lot of imagination to have her make her sounds. Zoé has come to a point where she doesn't want to be told what to do, and besides, speech is hard for her. She really has to focus. The brain is sending one message to the mouth and we are asking her to "perform" sounds that are hard for her low muscle tone.
I know that once she matures, she'll have to make a conscious effort to pronounce words and be articulate in front of her peers.
Speaking of which, Zoé has a tendency to be somewhat of a loner. She has difficulty sticking with her peers, enjoying solo activities rather than coming together with her classmates when group activities are required.
I don't know what that means?
Is it because she was a late walker and wants to explore, again and again? Is it because focusing and staying put is too demanding physically? Is it because of the "vibes" she gets from her peers? Is it because she feels "different"?
February 26th, will be the anniversary of the first steps she ever took on her own. We watched the little video I took last year when she walked from the kitchen holding on to the cabinets to a chair that was 6 feet away!
I will never forget that day.
So again many questions, worries and inspirational conversations are what make my daily life what it is.
It makes it so much more special and in the end, will make me a stronger person, ready to tackle the new hurdles on this adventurous journey called MMD.