🎈 Ten Years Ago Today: A Reflection on Parenting, Growth, and the Unexpected Path

I remember an early morning ten years ago.

I was lying on a surgery bed, about to give birth to my precious baby boy.

I was scared. I was excited. I was stepping into a new life—one full of love, full of potential, and, like many parents, full of expectations I didn’t even realize I was carrying.

I brought with me everything I had learned from my parents, from my culture, from the world around me. Ideas about what makes a “good child,” a “good mother,” a “good life.” I thought I knew, at least loosely, what the road ahead would look like.

But the reality soon revealed a different angle—one no one had prepared me for.

Not a worse one.

Not a broken one.

Just… different.

What No One Tells You

No one tells you what it feels like to parent a child who doesn’t fit into the molds others expect.

No one tells you how isolating it can feel when your instincts say “something’s different,” but the world around you says “just try harder.”

No one tells you how much of yourself you’ll need to unlearn in order to show up for your child the way they need.

Our journey with ADHD and neurodivergence has been full of surprises, challenges, and moments I never imagined I’d face. There have been days of uncertainty, exhaustion, and frustration—yes. But also days of deep connection, unmatched joy, and a kind of growth I never expected.

The Real Gift

Now, ten years later, I wouldn’t trade this version of life for any other.

Because this life—with its mess, its beauty, its richness—has shaped me into someone I’m proud to be.

Because this boy—curious, creative, brave, sensitive—is becoming exactly who he’s meant to be.

And I’m becoming who I’m meant to be, too.

We’ve grown up together in many ways.

We’ve challenged each other.

We’ve cracked open old patterns.

And we’re still learning—every single day—how to connect over correction, how to pause before reacting, how to choose understanding over fixing.

For the Parents Walking a Similar Path

If you’re on a similar journey—raising a child whose needs challenge what you thought parenting would look like—I want you to know this:

You are not alone.

You don’t need to fix your child.

And you don’t need to fix yourself either.

There’s another way. A gentler way.

One rooted in connection, in curiosity, and in courage.

Here’s to 10 years of becoming—and all the years ahead. 💛