Hey Soccer Moms.....Listen Up!!!!

  Are you listening??? Hey, all you NT soccer mom's out there, we (the special needs parents) are jealous! Yes, you read that right. We are jealous, annoyed, maybe even a bit pissed off! Why you ask, well have a seat, let me explain!

  We are jealous because while you have to juggle your kids to different sporting events. Or juggle birthday parties, play dates, coffee dates, maybe even mani/pedi salon days, or dare I say it, DATE NIGHT with your significant others. We don't get to do this. Instead we juggle therapies, doctor's appointments, and errands around our child's moods.

  Our kids often aren't invited to birthday parties. They aren't invited to play dates. We mom's don't get a day to beautify ourselves for our husbands. (My hubs is shocked to see me in something other than pajamas!) We, as special needs parents don't always get date nights. We don't have babysitters. Hell, my son and I share a room, and PITA has his own room because it's the only way we can get our kid to sleep is if he is in the same room as mama.

  So, the next time you see us, please don't tell us how stressed you are because kid one has a tee ball game, and kid two has a little league game, and kid 3 has a birthday party. I may smile to make you feel better, but what I really want to do is slap you. No lie. I don't get to sit on the side lines and cheer my son on as he rounds the bases. I don't get to anticipate him hitting or catching that ball. I don't get to juggle sports, and all that jazz.

  You see, my son won't play organized sports. He knows he isn't good at sports. He knows his coordination is terrible and he just yesterday caught a football. That is HUGE in our house. My son is picked last to be on a team. He is the last man standing and that breaks our heart. Pita and I long to sit on the sidelines and cheer our little turd on in a sporting event.

  The neighbor kids were playing flag football yesterday and Liam walked away. He had tears in his eyes because he didn't want to play. He said, "mom, I can't do it. I suck!" That ripping sound you heard, that was my heart being torn from my chest. PITA heard him and stepped in. He helped Liam in the game. He helped Liam catch that football. That screaming sound you heard....Yeah, that was me! I was screaming like a lunatic. Clapping and jumping like an idiot. For the first time, I was a mom on the sidelines cheering my little boy on. I was ECSTATIC!!!!

 But you know what??? That was one time. It may or may not ever happen again. When it was over, when the kids picked up the outside toys and we headed in for the night, I was pissed. I was pissed because you get to do this on a weekly basis. I was pissed because you complain about having to go to these games. I was pissed because you don't want to be there. I was pissed because you take it for granted.

  We long to be in your shoes. We don't long to have your life per say. We long to see our kids do something that yours take for granted. We long to see them included. We long to see them as part of a team.

  So the next time you go to open your mouth, and complain about being a soccer mom, think twice. Be grateful for your life. Stop and think......it could be very different. If it were, stop and think how you would feel....