Jealousy is a sin, isn't it?
There is a new family at PACE; a little boy named Will who is exactly the same age as Stella. He lives with his two siblings in a big house in Springbank (a tony suburb of Calgary), his mom drives a Lexus and dresses expensively (albeit badly), with the largest diamond wedding ring I have ever seen. Actually, I am not jealous of all of this. (Oh, OK, maybe just a little).
I am jealous that she can afford to pay for private physical therapy lessons 2x week, along with a full-time nanny (she is a stay-at-home mom), and flys down to Houston a couple of times a year to take Will for treatment there. But she has a publicly-funded aide and we are on the waiting list! Oh, it feels so unfair. I feel guilty for feeling this way, because, frankly, Will needs the help more than Stella at this point. But! What about MY CHILD?!
There is something about having a child with special needs that brings out the Mama Bear in me in full force. I am way more protective than I ever was with Francis; this is something that I fight against in myself. I need to push myself to push Stella towards independence (ultimately, this is is the goal of parenting, no?). But the world can be so cruel, especially if you are a little different. Or a lot different.
