Top 20 reasons "Moms with Special Needs Kids ROCK!"
1) Because we never thought that "doing it all" would mean doing this much. But we do do it all -- and then some.
2) Because we've discovered patience we never knew we had.
3) Because we are willing to do something 10 times, 100 times or 1,000 times if that's what it takes for our kids to learn something new.
4) Because we have heard doctors tell us the worst, and we've refused to believe them. Take THAT, naysaying doctors of the world!
5) Because we have bad days and breakdowns and bawl-fests, and then we pick ourselves up and keep right on going.
6) Because we gracefully handle the stares, the comments, the rude remarks. (Well, mostly gracefully.)
7) Because we manage to get ourselves together and get out the door looking pretty damn good. Heck, we even make sweatpants look good!
8) Because we are strong. Man, are we strong. Who knew we could be this strong?
9) Because we aren't just moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs and women who work. We are moms, wives, cooks, cleaners, chauffeurs, women who work, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, researchers, nurses, coaches and cheerleaders. Whew!
10) Because we work overtime every single day.
11) Because we also worry overtime, but we work it through. Or we eat chocolate or gourmet cheese (which aren't reimbursable by insurance as mental-health necessities, but should be).
12) Because we are more selfless than other moms. Our kids need us more.
13) Because we give our kids with special needs endless love, and then we still have so much love left for our other kids, our husbands, our families. And our hairstylists, of course.
14) Because we inspire one another in this crazy blogosphere every single day.
15) Because we understand our kids better than anyone else -- even if they can't talk; even if they can't gesture; even if they can't look us in the eye. We know. We just know.
16) Because we never stop pushing for our kids.
17) Because we never stop hoping for them, either.
18) Because just when it seems like things are going OK, they're suddenly not OK, but we deal. Somehow, we always deal -- even when it seems like our heads or hearts might explode.
19) Because when we look at our kids, we just see great kids -- not kids with cerebral palsy/autism/Down syndrome/developmental delays/RETT SYNDROME" whatever.
20) Because ... well, you tell me.

*Thanks to the site "MomLogic" for this list! I love it! And thank you to all my "special" mom friends in the blog world/facebook world who truly inspire me everyday!