Doors

This morning I opened one of my emails and my eyes filled with tears. It surprised me, really, that my relief was so strong it would elicit tears. I sat back in my chair, closed my eyes, and tilted my head back until the unexpected emotions ebbed as quickly as they had arrived, and I dabbed my damp cheeks with my t-shirt. I'm not really fond of tears, especially when they catch me off guard.

The email was from someone who can help us get KayTar into therapies, without cost to us. Not just the typical therapies either, but things like yoga, play therapy, pet therapy, day camps that both she and BubTar are welcome at...enriching programs that have always been outside of KayTar's grasp. It is the second time this week that I've watch a door be flung wide open for her. I also spoke with a special needs art program this week, where they teach music and dance and drama and the visual arts to these kiddos with limitations, kids like KayTar who could never keep up in a typical dance class, even though she loves to be the center of attention and will use anything as a stage, who I never really thought would be a part of those things...at least not at this time in her life. I can't tell you how many times I've looked into groups and classes for her, only to realize she isn't on par with the children in her age group, she isn't able to join a three year old class and keep up or understand. But now, here we are, looking at these options. Choices for her. Fun, exciting, enriching programs she can be a part of.

KayTar's pediatrician called me on Wednesday with a wealth of information about these and other programs. Another of her patients, a child with cerebral palsy, is involved in many of them and the mother mentioned something about their therapy program and our pediatrician thought of us and got all the contact information. (Have I mentioned how much I love our pediatrician?) KayTar doesn't have cerebral palsy, but she told the mother a bit about us and she didn't think it would be a problem to get KayTar into the programs. It could never hurt to ask, right? So we did. Thus far, the answers have all been very good.

And so this morning my eyes filled with tears without warning, overwhelmed by the ways doors can just swing open, if you only know which ones to knock on.