Hard

Kids are hard. I think that goes for both typical children, and for children who have special needs. There might be more hard things that we go through with Rhett, but sometimes Brooks can be tough too. Whenever you are on the outside looking in and think to yourself, “Having a child like Rhett must be hard,” I want you to remember these things.

Rhett is hard.

He works harder than anyone I know. The amount of hard work and energy he puts into everything he does shows through all of his accomplishments. He has to work harder than most to eat, breathe, walk, and communicate. He works hard day in and day out in all the therapies he has to do. Yes, Rhett is hard. He works hard, that is.

He loves hard. Rhett finds something he loves and then loves it with all his heart. He loves animals, books, and his family. He may not say “I love you” with words, but he says it with his actions. When he runs up for a hug, goes in for a kiss, or grabs you by the hand to lead you where he wants to go, he is showing you his love. Yes, Rhett is hard. He loves hard, that is.

He plays hard. From the moment his eyes open in the morning, to the moment his eyes close at bedtime, he is playing hard all day. He is playing, creating, and learning all day long. He plays just like any other child plays. Yes, Rhett is hard. He plays hard, that is.

I looked up the definition for the word hard, and it actually describes Rhett perfectly. Hard means not easily broken, and if you know anything about Rhett, you know this is true. He is so strong and resilient, and doesn’t let anything keep him down. Rhett is definitely not easily broken. I also found that hard means with a great deal of effort. This also describes Rhett because he puts forth his best effort in everything he does. Rhett is the definition of hard, just not in the way you might think.

Like I said before, being the parent of a child who has special needs can be hard. But parenting in general is hard. Let’s not forget that this journey isn’t just hard for the adults. This journey is hard on Rhett too. But let’s shift our focus to recognizing the effort it takes for Rhett to thrive and be successful in this world. This is a message to Rhett, but also to myself. Life is hard, but you can do hard things.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.