LIFE LEARNINGS FROM MY DAUGHTER

I was messing about on my phone this morning and heard Mackenzie brushing her teeth. I leapt off my chair, ran to her bathroom and flicked the light on to see her standing there, hair like a lion’s mane, a mouth full of toothpaste and a massive grin on her face. 

She’s been working really hard to learn how to successfully apply toothpaste to the brush - I implore you to try it with your eyes closed. It’s really freaking hard. 

Every morning, for years, I’ve walked in to assist her. But this morning, she did it. Quietly, independently, without request for support, she nailed it. 

And the look of pride and joy in her face when she knew how excited I was by the sound of my hurried entry to the bathroom, made all these years of trying so damn worth it.  

She also learnt to do all the buttons up on her uniform this week. And that same cheeky, pride-fuelled grin swept across her face as I literally squealed, picked her up and danced a ridiculous celebratory jig, her soft squishy body flopping in my arms as I spun her around in pure joy 💃🏻 

13 years and we’re celebrating the most mundane, yet most magical achievements in self reliance. Those floppy little fingers that never had vision to encourage their development are getting shit done. 

Slowly. 

Surely. 

And not yet capable of transferring these skills to different environments, or different items of clothing, or different tasks - everything is so meticulously curated and crafted to support achievement. Nothing happens on its own - a belief in potential, and then years and years of the daily grind to achieve, with nothing but hope to lead the way - because nothing is certain. 

Except the knowing that whilst you can’t control an outcome, you can adjust your perspective. And you WILL learn to walk through fire calmly, and confidently, and trust that the not knowing opens up so much potential.  

Time is so daft in this neurodiverse space. There is no time line - just an overwhelming intention to stay present to what is, to hold the vision, to trust in the process, and most of all, to surrender to the outcome. 

Oh sweet surrender. 

Nothing like birthing a child with a disability to show you what it means to truly let go. 

Striving for achievement from a place of fear doesn’t get us anywhere. 

Intending for expansion, no matter what that outcome looks like, opens up a world of possibility and potential.

She / we are so proud of her new skills - and so she / we should be. 

It’s been a bloody long time coming 💫