Letting Go

At times I have said the common denominator among parents who have a child with a disability is the thought, “What happens after I’m gone.” 

I just finished a book that stated the thought so clearly, “You’ll always be wondering: is my baby all right tonight? Is he sleeping peaceful? Is he happy and surrounded by people that cares for him? Is he in pain? Is he lonesome? Does he need something only I can give him, but he ain’t got no way to let me know? Lord, please keep my child safe tonight. That’s when I found faith, when my young’uns growed up and I had to let them go…it’s so hard for a mother to trust her young’uns to anybody else…”¹

Have you ever felt like this? How can we help each other to let go?

¹MoonWomen by Pamela Duncan, Delacorte Press

Transition - are you ready?

When our kids (meaning under 21) are still in school, it can be hectic but there is a stability to that hecticness. We know the hours that they’ll be at the school, who they’re associating with, and usually have the supports needed to make the day to day details work. But like thunderclouds forming on the horizon, turning 21 and “transitioning” looms. According to Pennsylvania Transition Guide (www.secondarytransition.org ), “Secondary Transition is the process of preparing students for adult life after they leave high school. Transition planning begins at age 14, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team, as students consider their goals for the time after graduation through career awareness exploration activities.” It all sounds good on paper, but the families I talk to are either scared, uninformed of options, or confused (or all three!).

Tell me what’s happening in your life around transition. Do you have it all figured out and have the resources to make good decisions? Or are you struggling and don’t know what to do or what way to turn?  What’s your story? What are your concerns? Have you found a resource that would help others?  

Join the conversation!

Join the conversation!

Welcome to The Arc of Lancaster County’s latest way of connecting people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, their families and circles of support with each other! A different topic will be offered each week for your comments and suggestions, as a way of allowing us to learn from each other.

Let me know what you want to talk about. It can be a situation you’re going through and want to get other’s opinions. Or it can be to share a success story – we need more of those, don’t we! I’ll offer suggested topics from time to time on areas that come to my attention both locally and across Pennsylvania.

This is not the place where individual advocacy happens (we have a person on staff at The Arc to help you in that way), but rather a sharing place, like if we were able to sit down together for a cup of tea.

Email me at mwestcott@thearcoflancasterco.org or join in the conversation here.

I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Maureen Westcott, Executive Director, The Arc of Lancaster County