Someone I Love

This poem was sent to me by a friend who also has a special needs child, his name is Grayson. His story and photos are on our website if you'd like to read more about this little angel. Thank you Erin for your emails, it's encouraging to receive support from someone who knows how life is when you have a special child in your life.
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Someone I love relies on me in ways you will never understand.

Someone I love endures pain and challenges that break my heart and
renew my spirit at the same time.

Someone I love is unable to advocate for themselves for things that
most of us take for granted.

Someone I love will never have the opportunities that every child
should have.

Someone I love will need unconditional love and support after I am
gone - this frightens me to the core.

Someone I love encounters pity, stereotyping responses, and
prejudice at every turn, because they look, act, and/or learn
differently than others.

Someone I love has needs that require me to allow "outsiders" to
have power and input in areas that should be mine alone to meet.

Someone I love will continue to look to me for everything in life
long after other children are able to assume a place as part of the
world.

Someone I love has needs that require more time and energy than I
have to give.

Someone I love has needs that mean I am not able to meet basic needs
of my own.

Someone I love has needs that have become the driving force behind
major decisions my family makes.

Someone I love has changed me in ways I will never be able to
describe.

Someone I love has taught me about love and about the really
important things in life...

And still others don't understand what it is to be me.. they aren't
living in my skin.

This touching dedication is from the book Living in My Skin, The
Insider's View of Life With a Special Needs Child by Lori Hickman.