The Sweet Spot

This Article was popping up all over the place yesterday.  I read it and thought it was such a great article and so true for so many families.  The sweet spot of parenting.  It's a time parents are thrilled to be part of but at the same time makes you a bit sad because you know it's also a time that goes by too quickly.  It reminds us to take the time to really enjoy all the moments. 

It also made me think of The Sweet Spot along our journey to hearing for Cormac.  This sweet spot however, comes with not a bit of sadness.  It comes with a sense of accomplishment.  It comes with a sense of awe.  It brings tears to your eyes.  These tears are not tears of sadness.  Those tears are long in the past.  It's the moment when you realized.  Everything is Ok.  I can remember another parent telling me about 2 to 3 years after implantation life will all of a sudden not be solely focused on helping your child to learn to listen and speak.  Your life will suddenly just be your life.  At the time it seemed unimaginable. 

I remember the EXACT moment we reached the sweet spot along our journey.  It's a day I will never forget.  The memory is so clear it's like it was yesterday.  I have to give a little history on how we arrived at this day.  We decided early on we wanted Cormac to attend mainstream preschool along with his brothers.  It was a goal I would meet.  Failure was not an option.  We did everything within our power to get him prepared for this moment.  The way it works Cormac received early intervention until the age of three.  At three he is released and would go to mainstream preschool.  There was only one issue.  He turned three in April and his preschool didn't start until September.  I didn't want him to not receive any services for such a long span so I decided to put him in Summit Speech School in their morning program from April until June.  He would have a few weeks off in the Summer. 

On his first day of driving him (I was about 6 months pregnant ) he was sitting in the third row of our Suburban.  I was driving and had so many thoughts going through my head.  Was I making the right decision?  Was this the best plan for him?  Is he ready for mainstream preschool in the Fall or should I have made him enroll in Summit for the year?  The thought of him being apart from his brothers literally broke my heart.  As all these things were going through my mind from way in the back of the truck I hear him say "Mom, do you see that contrail coming out of that airplane flying in the sky?" (Keep in mind it was the day after his third birthday and he had NEVER HEARD a sound until he was 13 months old)  I look out the window and see it.  I start to cry while I am driving (and as I type this I can't help but cry at the memory)  I tell him in a very shaky voice.  "Yes, I see it"  And he knows I am crying and he says "Mommy, don't worry I am going to be just fine".  I said back "I know, Cormac.  You will be OK"

That was our sweet spot moment along the road to hearing.  It's one of the greatest memories I have of Cormac.  He was so small and so young.  Somehow in his mind he just knew I was worried.  He knew just what to say and when to say it.  It's not to say I don't think or worry about it any longer but for the most part it's just a part of who he is and it by no means defines him.