I have been telling myself "DD does not have leukemia or other life threatening illness. She has not lost a body part. She is not low functioning or intellectually challenged. Keep this in perspective..." Again intellectually I understand this. Keep this in perspective...
Agreeing with MON, but not for quite the same reason.
You would still be working this hard for your DD, and loving her this much, regardless of what the disability was, and regardless of its severity. If she did have a grave illness, you'd be right there, bearing up, figuring it out, doing what you could.
My point is, the process of it *is not different* based on severity: you're in there, doing what you can. It's hard. (And it can be hard with "typical" kids too.) Parenting is like that. Wrings your soul out. But the keeping going is the thing.
I have learned so much compassion from parents who have faced the toughest situations-- some of whom wear their children's disabilities more lightly, and face them with more grace, than I have managed.
DeeDee
