To all those parents of special needs children, \u201cYou are so amazing!\u201d 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, \u201cDoes your son or daughter bowl here?\u201d
\nKnowing that parents can not coach their own child, I knew they were asking to find out why I am here coaching.
\n\u201cNo\u201d, I said in response. \u201cI was asked to come and coach and I liked it.\u201d
\nI 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.
\nTypically, 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\u2019t imagine and have lived a life that I can\u2019t 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.
\nI 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.
\nAll 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\u2019s bowling coaching night!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To all those parents of special needs children, \u201cYou are so amazing!\u201d 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17],"tags":[176,200,201],"class_list":["post-244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bapresents","tag-jeff-thompson","tag-special-needs","tag-special-olympics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-3W","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3814,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3814","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":0},"title":"PACER Center: Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Mental Health – Children\u2019s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project (Transcript Provided)","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"PACER Center: Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Mental Health - Children\u2019s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project Full Transcript Below: Children\u2019s Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project Coordinator Renelle Nelson joins us and gives us an overview of Mental Health and what services they provide to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BlindAbilities Presents"","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3053,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3053","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":1},"title":"Leah Martinson – Integrative Health Coach: Sometimes, This Get\u2019s Scary… That\u2019s OK. (with Transcription)","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In this SSB Success Story Leah Martinson talks about how she navigated the transition from high school to college and to the workplace. How the services at SSB assisted her decision making and helped support her goal of owning her own business as an Integrative Health Coach. Leah graduated high\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Career"","block_context":{"text":"Career","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=373"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3126,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3126","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":2},"title":"Aira Presents Hy Cohen: Enjoying Enriched Personal Interactions with Aira #ExplorerStories","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Aira Presents, Explorer Stories, a look into the extraordinary and often ordinary stories of Aira Explorers and how they use this technology in their daily lives. In this episode of Explorer Stories, Aira presents Hy Cohen. We hope you enjoy. For any working parent, balancing the demands of the job\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Aira Presents"","block_context":{"text":"Aira Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=485"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4068,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4068","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":3},"title":"Self-Advocacy, Self-Awareness and the ADA – A Visit with PACER Center\u2019s Transition Coordinator Deborah Leuchovius (Transcript provided)","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"November 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Below Show Summary: In partnership with State Services for the Blind of Minnesota we are proud to present, PACER Center - Champions for Children with Disabilities: Self-Advocacy, Self-Awareness and the ADA - A Visit with PACER Center\u2019s Transition Coordinator Deborah Leuchovius Deborah sits down with Jeff Thompson of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BlindAbilities Presents"","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6506,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6506","url_meta":{"origin":244,"position":4},"title":"Rebranding Your Services to Fit the Changing Times: Meet Apple Certified Coach Donna Jodhan","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Show Summary: Today\u2019s guest on Blind Abilities is Donna Jodhan. 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