Special O. Basketball Tournament

Yesterday we attended our regional S.O. basketball tournament in Fresno, CA. We took two teams and a group of individual skills competitors. Here athletes waited for the open ceremony to begin.

My son is #5 and at 17 is the youngest on this team. S.O. is open to individuals age 8 and up and is divided by skill level. Competitions are broken into many levels so that as many athletes as possible can take home medals. Everyone leaves with a great sense of accomplishment.

These athletes may be "special" but they are talented and just as intent as any other athlete. Maybe even more so because their season is 8 weeks of practice for one tournament. They play 2 or 3 games all in one long, exhausting day. In the past the tournament was 2 days and the division winners went on to a Northern California Championship tournament. It was canceled this year because S.O. is run entirely on donations and they are way down as a result of the economy.

It gets very physical and emotional because this is their one shot for a whole year to compete against other teams.

It's a big day for family and friends too. My parents are always big supporters. Hubby helps coach sometimes and the athletes love to tease him about his ever present Bronco's hat.

This was the gold medal game for our division. It was a great, close game but the other team pulled ahead in the fourth period. It ended on an exciting buzzer-beating 3 point shot by our team but it wasn't enough and we took home the silver medal.

In the end,

these bright eyes,

and that big grin

are all the prize

we could hope for.

How God Chooses Special Mothers

A special moment: In the Game!

A special moment: Running for the Diploma!

A few days ago my friend Mary, from Mary's Tea Cottage posted about her concerns as a mother of a daughter with special needs and a wife of a husband with failing sight. Her thoughts touched me deeply as they closely relate to my own feelings. You can read her post here.

I've met many wonderful women through blogging and several of them have children with special needs as I do. A few also have husbands with health issues making the stress of being a caretaker that much greater. I found their blogs to be places filled with inspiration, not from the "misery loves company" viewpoint, but from the "wow, look how positive she is" viewpoint. These are not blogs focused on the issues of special needs or care taking. They are just everyday blogs like yours and mine, a little home life, some decorating, crafting and shopping, the stuff we all enjoy reading.

Along with Mary, you might enjoy visiting these special mothers:

Betsy at My Five Men - Betsy has five men in her family, including triplets with autism.

Lucy at English Cottage in Georgia (and her new blog Life is Too Short) -Lucy has a daughter with Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy and her husband suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Sue at It's a Very Cherry World - Sue has two daughters with Asperger's Syndrome.

These are just a few of the special mothers I've come across while blogging. There are many more. I'd like to share the following story for all of you who have been "chosen" to be mother's of children with special needs. I received it many years ago as part of a email group, I wish it had an author's name to give credit. Many of you may have seen it before, but it never hurts to remind ourselves how we are blessed.

"Choosing Special Mothers"

Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen? I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger. "Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint, Matthew. Forrest, Majorie, daughter, Patron Saint, Cecilia. Rudledge, Carrie, twins, Patron Saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

The next name he passes to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."

The angel is curious, " Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly", God says, "could I hand a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have to much patience or she will drown in a sea of self pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so important in any mother but especially a mother of a handicapped child. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness, is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't realize it yet but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says "Momma" for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it. When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child she will see it as few people ever see my creations. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance, cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above these. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in midair.

God smiled. "A mirror will suffice."

Special Olympics Bowling ~ Life's Lessons

Focus

Determination

Hope

Camaraderie

Encouragement

Satisfaction

Leaving a Legacy

In Memory of

Eunice Kennedy Shriver,

founder of Special Olympics.

Sweet son receiving the torch from a teammate for the last leg of the run up to the top of the stadium.

Darling daughter being greeted by daddy at the finish line. This was her first year competing, she was 8years old.

My sweet son soaring.

Darling daughter in a new event, the Turbo-Jav.

Sweet son receiving a medal.

He's very competitive.

He wants the gold!

Darling daughter receiving her first of many medals, more than 5 years ago. Getting one from the local Sheriff was cool.

But she really likes getting them from firemen!

These photos are from our local track event over the years. My kids have also competed in basketball, bowling, and golf. They have gone on to regionals and Nor-Cal state championships. Two of our local athletes made it all the way to the world games. One went several years ago to Ireland to compete in bowling, the other won Gold at the Summer games in China last year in golf.

If you would like to volunteer for something that doesn't take a lot of time check out your local organization. Of course you could easily become addicted to these wonderful athletes and dedicate your life to Special Olympics like several of our local volunteers. Click here to see the sweet faces of our special friends at the most recent track event. We weren't able to participate this year in track for various reasons so we were thrilled when the local paper did a pictorial.

Special Olympics is so much more than sport. We have come a long way since Mrs Shriver's own sister was kept out of the public eye solely because she had an intellectual disability. When we adopted our children we had no idea how much enrichment they would bring to our lives. Although we face many obstacles, their innocence, joy and enthusiasm lift us daily.

Thank You Mrs. Shriver, for the insight to bring millions of incredible souls out of the darkness by simply allowing them to throw a ball, run a race, or score a basket. You opened a door to tolerance, acceptance and eventually to independence.