{"id":104,"date":"2011-08-15T18:39:14","date_gmt":"2011-08-15T22:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/facethepain\/?p=104"},"modified":"2011-08-15T18:39:14","modified_gmt":"2011-08-15T22:39:14","slug":"sweet-darling-jj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/facethepain\/2011\/08\/sweet-darling-jj.html","title":{"rendered":"Sweet Darling, JJ…"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest desires of a parent is for your child to get along. \u00a0I mean really, who wants to have the kid that “Doesn’t play well with others”? \u00a0That has to be a nightmare for any mother or father. \u00a0All I knew was that I didn’t want to have “that kid”! \u00a0You know “that kid”. \u00a0The kid who is always disruptive! \u00a0Acts as if they are the only one in the room. As if the world revolves around them. \u00a0You know? \u00a0“That kid!”<\/p>\n

Well, our day had come. \u00a0Was our kid “that kid”? \u00a0We were about to find out first hand. \u00a0Some close friends were bringing their daughter over to our house. \u00a0She was a few months younger than William. \u00a0This would be so good for him. \u00a0It would be so good for both of them. \u00a0They’d each have a new friend. \u00a0I couldn’t wait! \u00a0My boy would have his first girlfriend.<\/p>\n

My whole mood changed when she walked through the door. That was just it. \u00a0She walked through the door. \u00a0That’s when it hit me. \u00a0Our kids were close to the same age yet they were so different. \u00a0She had two eyes, William had two eyes. \u00a0She had two ears, William had two ears. \u00a0She had two arms, William had two arms. \u00a0She had two legs, William had two legs. \u00a0But, she was standing on hers. \u00a0Sweet, darling JJ! \u00a0I never saw the hurt coming. \u00a0Figuratively, it brought me to my knees! \u00a0I stood towering over a couple of two year old kids, yet I was the one who felt inferior.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Amazing how one person can change the mood in a room. I was in my own home and a little 2 year old girl, cuter than cute, made me feel like a prisoner. Her mere presence put me in my own solitary confinement. \u00a0I was alone again! \u00a0 I felt like the walls were closing in on me. \u00a0It was like we were in a tiny room where there’s barely enough space for me and JJ to stand up, and William could not.<\/p>\n

I was compelled to face a pain that I had no idea existed. \u00a0I was compelled to face reality. \u00a0Sometimes reality bites! Deep. \u00a0These were the facts.\u00a0 JJ could crawl.\u00a0 William could not.\u00a0 JJ could walk. \u00a0William could not. \u00a0JJ could run. William could not. \u00a0JJ could run and play. \u00a0William could play too, but.<\/p>\n

JJ left.\u00a0 Things returned to normal.\u00a0 Finally!\u00a0 Suddenly, my biggest fear was not that William would become “that kid”, but others seeing him as THAT kid.\u00a0 I found myself dreading the JJ’s of the world.<\/p>\n

Every parent wants to provide for their child. \u00a0There are endless thoughts about what your child has and what they do not. \u00a0The focus always seems to be on what your child does not have or what your child cannot do. \u00a0Your child wants a toy? You buy them a toy at a toy store. \u00a0Your child wants ice cream? \u00a0You buy them ice cream at an ice cream store. Your child wants to walk? \u00a0You…<\/p>\n

William’s haves and have nots. \u00a0That’s part of my struggle. \u00a0I have learned to embrace them. \u00a0All of them. \u00a0He will walk. \u00a0He will run and play one day. \u00a0I believe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest desires of a parent is for your child to get along. \u00a0I mean really, who wants to have the kid that “Doesn’t play well with others”? \u00a0That has to be a nightmare for any mother or father. \u00a0All I knew was that I didn’t want to have “that kid”! \u00a0You know…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":428,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,7,3,8,22,9,6,23,5],"tags":[12,13,20,21,16,14,19,18,15],"class_list":["post-104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-determination","category-face-the-pain","category-faith","category-fatherhood","category-god","category-hope","category-husband","category-inspiration","tag-cerebral-palsy","tag-conductive-education","tag-micro-preemies","tag-nicu","tag-occupational-therapy","tag-physical-therapy","tag-preemies","tag-special-needs","tag-therapy"],"yoast_head":"\nSweet Darling, JJ... - Face the Pain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/facethepain\/2011\/08\/sweet-darling-jj.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sweet Darling, JJ... - Face the Pain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the biggest desires of a parent is for your child to get along. \u00a0I mean really, who wants to have the kid that “Doesn’t play well with others”? 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