I got that in a fortune cookie! It’s been the name of my blog for years. I started blogging as a way to keep track of my son’s medical, developmental, social, and emotional progress, and also as a way to keep friends and family in the loop.
It’s been a long road…and I never know what direction it will take. I do know that this kid works harder than anyone I know to accomplish things as simple as greeting someone with a wave or making eye contact. “Medically complex.” “Developmentally disabled.” “Special needs.” “Lucky he’s cute.” He’s been given many labels. If I find one offensive, I say so. I’ve become very bold since he entered my life, and I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about medical stuff. I had to have a crash course in trachs and gtubes and subcutaneous infusions, I know all about wheelchairs and standers and adaptive positioning, and if we need to be somewhere that is not wheelchair accessible…oh, trust me, you will either clear out or start filming!
Filming? What a great segue 😉
Photography has been my thing since I was young. I was the annoying one with the camera, and my friends would complain but they would thank me later. I photographed people, places, nature, anything that caught my eye that you don’t see every day. Candid, natural, organic.
Several years ago, a friend asked me for a photo session for her family- herself, her husband, her two sons, and her daughter who had Rett Syndrome. She and my son were friends. They would flirt with their eyes and hold hands from their wheelchairs. I was pretty excited for this shoot. My friend was thrilled with the images, and she said “You know, Marcie, THIS is what you should be doing. You should be taking pictures of kids with special needs.” AH! Lightbulb! YES!!! And here I am…I finally have one of those jobs that feels more like play to me than work. YAY!!!
