Glimpsing Normal

This girl – #5 – she has been, and continues to be, my inspiration.  I think back to all the mountains of fear that I used to stare at, afraid to climb.  I think back to the worry – will she ever really, truly be OK?  I suppose we all worry about our kids that way, but when your child has a condition like Scoliosis, you really take a scarier ride on the worry bus.  My daughter was diagnosed at age 5, braced for 6 years, had surgery when she was 13.  She’s been through so much – but, you can see, it hasn’t slowed her down.  She is now a Senior in high school, and just finished up volleyball season.  She was a setter for the 5th year in a row, and a team captain.  She led her team well – communicating constantly, and always setting the best example she could.  My daughter doesn’t play much with excuses, and, even with 3/4 of her spine fused, she was still complimented by coaches as being one of the best setters they have seen.  It amazes me, really.  We have now settled into a tiny bit of normal (whatever that means). The huge mountains of fear are mostly behind us, and she really never missed a beat.  I can’t wait to see where her experience of Scoliosis takes her in the future.