Milestone Moment

I had one of those moments last weekend when our family was at the park... just one of those things and it caught me by surprise.

I was standing on the sidewalk, next to BabyS in the stroller, and trying to signal to Dave that we were ready to go—he was dutifully following TinyE around the playground.

Just when I looked up, I noticed that TinyE had grabbed onto the rope/net ladder with her left hand. And instinctively, Dave stepped in close behind her—supporting but not stopping her.

TinyE was born with an upper arm deficiency - her right arm is significantly smaller than her left.

I watched her reach out with her left arm, step up with one foot, and then lean forward to put her smaller arm against the rope net ladder. The same one that all the other kids could trail up and down in a heartbeat, over and over.

I watched as she reached up, Dave leaned in, and my heart was in my throat. I watched as she slowly, meticulously, climbed that rope ladder; never actually needing her Daddy to catch her but knowing he was there.

I watched as she got to the top of the equipment and looked back at him with a jubilant smile. As naturally as any other kid.

That moment was a gift to all of us, that one tiny moment where one of our millions of questions had been answered. I remembered 2-1/2 years ago, sobbing in the hospital room and telling my mom that already my baby had more to deal with than I ever knew. That the load she had to carry in life was already so much bigger than herself. All the millions of challenges lay stretched before us like unanswered questions, unknown obstacles, unpredictable hurts.

Watching her climb that ladder from across the park — where I stood like a silent spectator — seemed to pass in slow motion. But it was just a little moment, a little milestone moment. The ladder was there, and she climbed it. And then, she went on to the next thing.

One gift, out of the many life affords us. One gift, out of the millions that our children give to us every day. I am amazed to find that over and over, she is the one who heals me.