My Child is Different, But He is Wonderfully Made

My Child is Different, But He is Wonderfully Made


Have you ever been a mamma bear and you watch someone bully your child or treat them differently because they are not the same as other children? I can understand that a child, may not understand, but adults do and need to set an example for their kids. Children learn what they see, hear, and are told. One of the first things that children are taught in the Bible is always ” I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14. They are also taught that Jesus loves the little children. So wouldn’t that mean that if a child has intellectual disabilities that they too are loved by Jesus? Are they not capable of being loved by others even if they are different?

I was moved today to write about an incident that to some may seem like an innocent gesture but to a mom who is tired from working 16 hour days as a nurse some weeks 7 days per week with a special needs child that has been distance learning for almost three months, and is now in virtual summer school, with lots of energy to give, it is hurtful. I sit writing with tears in my eyes not because my feelings were hurt, but because my little boy noticed that he was made to feel different and really can’t comprehend why.

My son was born 13 weeks early, he is a miracle. He was given a 5% chance of survival, he is immune-compromised due to his little lungs, he has 1 kidney, and is underweight. But guess what? He has a heart full of love for all that he meets, he loves people, and is the sweetest little boy. He does not know the color of skin, race, or disabilities, he only knows love. Why, because my husband and I instill the values in him to love everyone. But today on a zoom call made for kids, he was cut out of a video zoom class that was made for kids. We had him on silent because we know he can sometimes be chatty but he was making funny faces while he sat and looked at himself in the little video box honestly may have been a little bored because he is on these zoom calls daily for distance learning. But as a mom we always want our kids to get nurtured in groups that we think will make a difference in their lives.

All of Kaleb’s school teachers embrace him and know he is a handful but they love him just the same and find coping skills to help him. His hyperactivity is not something that can always be controlled, but trust me this little boy tries hard. If you told me ten years ago that we would be enduring this and would I want to terminate the pregnancy because we spent 162 days in the neonatal intensive care unit, with a little boy that is special needs, and only has 1 kidney, and may require help with making decisions later in life, I would say no. I would do it all over again. God placed this little boy in our lives for a reason. Through the test that we endured, we created The Gift of Life, an organization that supports parents of premature babies while they are in the neonatal intensive care unit. Through our hurt, we knew that we could take a mess and create a message that would reach many to help them find comfort in knowing that they are loved and supported no matter what race, religion, socioeconomic status, or nationality they are.

God never gives us more than we can handle and He knows who can tolerate a test. He really must think we can handle it because in these last three months, my test of trials has been huge. My husband and I vowed that we would do the best for our son and never let him down. We have my mom who lost her eyesight due to diabetes and a retinal detachment shortly after my dad passed away unexpectedly so therefore she stays with us. We have two puppies that keep us busy but fulfill our lives too. We wonder why all of this with COVID-19 surfaced and now with the Floyd murder and the violence that some groups are creating. With all of this, it is enough to send someone over the edge and totally give everything up, But I have had some strong women in my life.

Anitra Manning that is on our board tells me that I matter and what I am doing in the community matters so I need to hang in there, She loves our Kaleb so much, he is her “little buddy. “

Elisa Planellas our executive director who moved to Florida 1.5 years ago to help run the charity. She was running the charity for four years from a distance and then said she needed to move close to help us more. She takes care of our websites and gives freely of her time and never asks for a dime, on the contrary, she gives of her time and money to the charity through the services she purchases to run our digital website. She is another person that loves our Kaleb and keeps him entertained with her witty questions that make him think.

Ms. Melanie Johnson, Kaleb’s kindergarten teacher who always checks on Kaleb and me and sends me encouraging messages and support to hang in there. She was the first teacher to assure me that Kaleb will learn everything in his own time. She was so right!

Mrs. Nicole Pagan, Kaleb’s 2nd-grade teacher, this woman is a saint, there is so much that she has done throughout the years to go above and beyond the call of a teacher duty to help my family. She loves our Kaleb so much and looks out for his best interest always. She always includes me in her kiddos storytimes even after Kaleb has moved on beyond 2nd grade.

Alexia Rivera, God bless this girl, she has the patience of an angel with Kaleb. She supports me in every way that she can with her positive words and encouraging thoughts. She is one of the most thoughtful people I know. She has the gift of comfort and support. She loves our Kaleb as if he were her family.

Ms. Rosa, one of Kaleb’s teacher’s aides at school, you have to meet her. She loves our little miracle like her own. I never have to worry when he is in her care because she has just loved on him and me.

Ms. Kelly, this woman has been all that Kaleb talks about when it comes to his inflatables. She helps his creativity and looks for ways to bring his little heart joy. She is one of the aides in school that always has a watchful eye for our Kaleb.

I apologize for the long post, but I really wanted to point out that there are people that will love my son for who he is and not treat him differently because he is different. You just have to get to know him because he will melt your heart. Like my other favorite person in the world, Mrs. June Ings calls him, the little senator. He got this name when she attended our first charity gala and watched our little Kaleb, then 5 yrs old, greet people with a handshake like his dad in his little tuxedo and tell people that he was Kaleb with The Gift of Life. Mrs. June has always been there for me especially when I myself have experienced racism and bullying.

So today I leave you with these short verses:

John 7:24 “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”

Acts 10:34-35 “So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”

Romans 2:11 For God shows no partiality.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

So you see to the person that excluded a little boy today from a zoom call because he was making funny faces in an environment that was supposed to be fun for kids, I say, think about what Jesus would have done at that moment. Kids are not perfect by any means, but special needs kids are definitely not perfect either, but they have something that many wish they had, unbiased love for other people.

Accomplishing Goals in Life

When planning out goals in life, there are many self-help books, blogs, and methods to do this.  One way is to start writing the goal that you want to accomplish in life.  Read those goals daily and believe in them.  You can achieve them if you plan on them.  Start by identifying the goals into categories, for example, which ones are short-term that can happen in the immediate future in under six months.  A long-term goal is something that will take longer than a year to accomplish.  Under each goal, write down the length of time that you anticipate it will take to achieve that goal.  Once the goal and the time frame are established, write the steps that are required to get to that goal.  When the goal is identified, steps are put in place on how to achieve it, and the timeframe for the goal to be accomplished.  It allows your overall perspective on life to be encouraging.  As the goals are being worked on, they can be marked off to allow recognition that you have accomplished a step in your process to attain the final step, completion of a goal.

In the business world we, use an acronym called SMART goals.  It stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant and Timely.  The reason that we want to think of this acronym when we are planning our goals is that we want to be certain that we are not just idly making a statement and not doing anything to achieve it.  An example of a goal not using the SMART form, is “I want to be a nurse one day.” This is a great goal, but if it is a realistic goal that you want to accomplish, then it needs feet to walk along the road.

Here is a better way to phrase this, ” I want to be a nurse one day.  In order for me to accomplish this goal, I need to:

Specific: I need to enroll in a school of nursing, in order to become a nurse

Measurable: According to the curriculum, it will take me 2 years to become a nurse and 4 years if I do my bacehlors in nursing.

Attainable: If I start in the Fall of 2018, I will be done in the fall of 2020 and I can start to work right away. I can continue my education for the bachelor’s classes while I work and gain experience as a nurse.

Realistic: The goal of going to school for the first two years and obtaining my nursing degree is more a realistic goal because I need to work and I can do that in two years.

Timely: I am going to sign up today to start classes in the fall of 2018, the curriculum for associates in nursing is two years, so if I follow the pattern, I will graduate in the fall of 2020.

This is just one scenario of a SMART goal, it can be anything that you set your mind to do.

Author Rosie Moore followed her dream and worked on her SMART goal to obtain her doctorate of nurse practice.  Although the challenges were enough to get discouraged, she graduated and obtained the final outcome, her DNP.  Contact Rosie Moore to work with her in empowering your next journey to your destination.

Dr. Rosie Moore receives her doctorate of nurse practice degree!!

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Serendipity December 27th

December 27, 2005, a man named Marcus Moore asked me to be his wife by heart-shaped fireworks as we watched them from my house. Today is our 12 year engagement anniversary. Many don’t know the whole story, but if you read my book A Story of Faith, you will be able to read in detail how we ended up together. Today is about saying thank you to a man that allowed me in 12 years to become who I am today. In 12 years I completed my bachelors, masters and I am also almost finished with my doctorate of nurse practice.   We started a successful wedding business 27 Miracles, a non-profit organization called The Gift of Life, expanded my love of dance to a point where I could go to a competition in a group and win 1st place with my group, performed in ballets, Christmas shows, and musicals.   We have traveled to places I have never been before, learned to laugh, and care about others, write books, and become a legal nurse.  We had a beautiful baby boy that although born prematurely was the inspiration to start a non-profit to help other premature babies and their families. 

I was able to achieve a Master Bridal Consultant designation.  My latest accomplishment was the designation of Mrs. Windermere International, through this title I am able to reach audiences I would never have dreamed of reaching for my platform The Gift of Life. 

 

To think he manages all this in my life.  I am sure there is so much more …but first of all, I thank God for placing Marcus in my path many years ago and then I thank Marcus for being there for me through the ups and downs of life. Happy 12 year engagement anniversary! A serendipity moment that neither of us will ever forget.

If today you are looking for that serendipity moment in your life, do not worry it will come.  I waited almost 8 years for it.

Read A Story of Faith

and my newest romance novel based on fiction but oh so inspiring to many, When Being in Love Hurts.  

Give yourself time, the right person will come in your life one day when you least expect it.  Miracles do happen!

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