Giving More Love than We thought We were Capable of Giving

I think that we often believe we have limits to how much we can love or give. But the truth of the matter is, when put to the test, those limits can be stretched farther and farther than we ever imagined and often to the point of physical and emotional pain.

Sometimes loving more means that you have to do more things than you ever thought you would have to do. Like when expecting a baby and you anticipate a “normal” child. But that is not the way it works out. You have no choice but to love and give more than you thought--it is not really a choice even, but something that just happens because it is only natural as a parent to do that. I think that in those circumstances when you see your child master what might be a simple skill or have a moment that may not seem so big for a typical child, the feeling of your heart swelling with love is perhaps magnified for parents of a child with a disability. That is a sign of loving more than we thought possible. Those little moments take on more meaning because perhaps we never expected our child to get there or maybe we just worked harder and waited longer to get them there.

But other times loving more than we thought we were capable takes great effort. And in those circumstances, growth occurs. Sometimes loving more means giving up and making a sacrifice. That is when love hurts…giving to the point of pain. Maybe that is when we truly do love the most. … to be able to make such a sacrifice and bear the pain. No one wants to feel that…but we make the choice to for whatever the reason…a reason bigger than us.

But who knows…time…time doesn’t have to get in the way. Time can change things. Sacrifices don’t always have to be forever…and maybe in the end, the sacrifice will pay-off.