Journey with Madelyn: She will teach them....

Madelyn is wrapping up her first year of school as an Early Childhood student. Last fall, her extensive IEP was written. One of the therapists on her team wrote "besides her above mentioned challenges, Madelyn also has many gifts". She went on to write "she will teach them about patience, gratitude, love, and compassion". This was written in reference to Madelyn's impact on her classmates. However, anyone who knows Madelyn would agree that she teaches this to everyone she meets. This was one tiny section of a massive document, but it has stuck with me all year and I constantly find myself repeating it in my head. That sentence sums up how Madelyn has shaped us as parents and as people. That sentence also is a beautiful description of how she's been received by her classroom and school community.

As a parent, it's hard sending your kid to school. It's especially hard when your child is medically fragile and can't tell you how her day went. But, in true Madelyn fashion, she has shown us that she can handle it. She has blossomed over these last several months. She's smiling and laughing at her teachers. She shows excitement at school assemblies. She drives her Mini Cooper around PE. She participates in crafts, listens to stories, and enjoys music time. She's watching her peers and taking it all in. All we've ever wanted is for Madelyn to feel loved at school and to be accepted. And she is. There are obvious challenges, but that therapist was right. She has taught her classmates and her staff about patience, gratitude, love, and compassion. And we become more proud of her each and every day.