This Kid is a Keeper

Someone once said to me…’siblings to children with disabilities are not special. And they shouldn’t be treated as such.’

I’ll tell you this…in all my years of sharing on social media, very few statements have bothered me as much as that one.

I adamantly disagree. This kid. His life is different. Not bad by any means. Wonderful if you ask me. But it’s different than most of his peers. He sees and hears and experiences things most people never will. And we choose to call that a blessing.

We work really hard to give Sawyer all the experiences kids should have. I often feel like his dad and I have our feet in two different worlds.

And at 7, he’s amazing. He’s kind and funny and wild and often too much. He’s the middle child. Sandwiched in between an older brother and a baby.

He buckles seatbelts and hold hands. He shares snacks and hands mommy a diaper.

He sits on brothers and helps with shoes and pushes swings. And he wrestles and throws a punch when he feels necessary. They are often returned.

He has his own room but shares with his brother by choice.

And last week when asked how he would feel about going to school with his older brother Cooper he said, without skipping a beat…

‘That would be great because then I could watch out for him.’

When I told him that wasn’t his responsibility he said…

‘I know mama. But I want too. I want to look out for him.’

This kids a keeper. He and his teammates also won both of their hockey games today and I was honored to be sitting in the stands.

Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.