Quotes That Give Our Family Meaning

I was doing a search and ran across a few websites with some fabulous sayings...and quite a few stood out to me!

• "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Helen Keller: When we first realized that Brycen was going to be diagnosed with Autism, I felt like it was the end to my plan for my son. Though I still question why it happened to Brycen, I do now realize that it is God's plan for our family. Though the door closed on the plan we originally had for our son, the door that opened is one that will teach us the patience we need to raise our son with the plan that God intends for him!
• "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Frederick Douglass: We struggle most days with Brycen's lack of communication, his constant aggression, sensory issues, and his stimming behavior. If we did not have these struggles, then how would we be able to measure his progress?
• "Likely as not, the child you can do the least with will do the most to make you proud." ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966: So true for us...it's funny how before Brycen began regressing, we were excited for his first words, when he walked, etc...but once he started regressing and some of his skills including his language went away, we were devastated. I, especially, realized how I took him saying "momma" for granted. It has been almost a year and half since I last heard him call me "momma" and I can tell you that it won't just excite me when he finally says it, but I will be crying, screaming, blogging, calling every person on this earth to tell them about it. We will NEVER take for granted one word that comes out of his mouth again!
• "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you." - Desmond Tutu: When Brycen was first diagnosed, many people would say that I was chosen to be his mother. As the months go by, we are realizing that it was not us that was chosen for him...he was chosen to be ours! God chose him for us to teach us patience and acceptance, more than we could have ever known without him being the way he is. Though I am envious of my friends that have children that are talking and playing with other kids and not stimming all day long, I know they should be envious of me also because Brycen is an angel from God that has opened me up to be a better person!
• "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother, and the most important thing a mother can do for her children is to love their father." Anonymous: I've always believed in marriage and Mike and I are very lucky that our parents are both still married, as well as all of our grandparents stayed married until now or until their death (RIP Grandpa O, and all of Mike's grandparents whom I never had the chance to meet). Now more than ever, we have both realized how important it is to have both parents available to raise a child, much less a child with a disability. Loving each other and staying together through thick and thin is the best gift we can give to Brycen as he continues to grow and progress with the dedication of both of us in his lives every single day.