To all those parents of special needs children, “You are so amazing!” This last year I have volunteered as a bowling coach for the Special Olympics of Minnesota. With the encouragement of a fellow bus rider/neighbor, actually, the persistence of this man, I began the process of getting certified and coaching 5 young adults. I was quite apprehensive of what I was about to commit to and to tell you the truth, I loved it. When asked by one of the bowlers, “Does your son or daughter bowl here?”
Knowing that parents can not coach their own child, I knew they were asking to find out why I am here coaching.
“No”, I said in response. “I was asked to come and coach and I liked it.”
I would guess that 90% of the coaches that I met are parents of a bowler. And that is why it was probably a good assumption for someone to think that I was a parent doing some coaching.
Typically, my bowling lanes ran later than most of the other 16 lanes being utilized for the nearly 80 participants. With some juggling of lanes and teams, I ended up with 7 young male adults on 2 lanes and that night we finished nearly an hour earlier than ever before! I grabbed my coat and walked back up into the sitting and table area to wait for my ride and a couple other coaches and to my amazement I noticed nearly a full house of parents, family, aids waiting, talking and enjoying the bowling night. It then dawned on me that every one of these parents lives a life that I can not even imagine. Live a life I can’t imagine and have lived a life that I can’t imagine either. Here they are tonight, doing what they do. I sat down and just took it in. thinking about my life and being partially blind and how I came to terms with my situation. Thinking about how these parents have accepted the journey they probably never planned on or actually packed for.
I was told by a friend whose daughter was born with a life changing condition that it is as if you planned a vacation to Italy, saved for the trip, read all about Italy and packed accordingly and while on the plane trip, the pilot announces that you are going to Holland and that is that. Unprepared, unknowing and unsuspecting, Holland is where you arrive.
All these parents adjusted to the change of events and tonight is bowling night. Here I am, too, after all my plans and arrangements and ending up in Holland, too. What a journey and a discovery. I am so glad that my neighbor/fellow bus rider found me and offered me a seat on the journey. Monday nights are taken. It’s bowling coaching night!