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| 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Insanity' is all about Kids and Mothering and life with a big Family. The joys of being a parent and those things that drive us crazy. |
She was born a healthy 8lbs 4 ozs and 20 ½ “ (3790gms and 52cm for you metric minded people).
The Doctor said it
was all in her cheeks!
I think he was right because she only grew up to be a
tiny little thing. At 27 years old I don’t think she tops 5’.
Her first year was plagued with ill health and hearing problems so in
some ways she started life behind the 8 ball.
Today she turns 27 but it is also her Graduation Day from the Diploma of
Childcare and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
You see life isn’t easy for someone
with a learning disability as any parent with children who struggle will attest
to.
It was a battle to get her help through her school years, quite often a
fruitless battle. Private Speech Pathology and tutoring at my own expense over
the years helped some but the ongoing support and intervention that would have
made a difference was just not there and what we did receive I had to fight
long and hard for.
The day she started High School I cried all day. I
was so worried about how she would cope and after the lack of support at
primary school I didn’t hold out much hope of anything being different in High
School. I was right!
When she finally made it through High School and what a traumatic
experience it was for both of us, we thought finding work through the
assistance of a Disability Organisation would be a piece of cake. Wrong! Big
time wrong!
The world is a harsh place for people that don’t meet the ‘standard’. The word disability seems to
conjure up all sorts of negative impressions in the minds of prospective
employers thus we spent many long years trying to find employment without any
success.
When the opportunity to do her Certificate III and then Diploma in
Childcare came along it was decided to give it a go and to our delight,
discovered she was a natural with kids. But the battle wasn’t over. The theory
proved to be very difficult for her so with help from family, a good friend and
the astuteness of her TAFE teacher who recognised she had a learning difficulty
she struggled on.
Now today, after much hard work and frustration, tears and wanting to
throw the towel in, she will receive the degree she never thought was possible and
struggled so hard for.
Success is often so much sweeter when we have to put
real sweat and tears into it to achieve what others may see as a walk in the
park.
Everyone faces battles in life. Set backs and hard times,
disappointments and struggles happen to us all. But some things that others
take for granted are a huge mountain to climb for someone like my daughter and
my son and anyone that has some kind a disability or hurdle to jump in this
life.
Congratulations, just doesn’t seem enough after the incredible effort
that my daughter has put into achieving this degree. I am so proud of her.
Always have been, even without the degree, just for the way she has persevered
and kept going through everything life has thrown at her and never given up.
You are an amazing young woman Ellie with strength,
determination and courage and tonight as you receive your degree I want you to
remember that you are not stupid or useless or inferior.
You are special and
wonderful and have worked so hard to get to where you are. You deserve all the accolade of your success and can be proud of yourself because we certainly are.
Oh and Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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