Amanda’s Dream
I know my daughter. I know when she is happy and when she is sad. I know when she is feeling silly and when she is feeling sick. I know when she is tired and when she is absolutely NOT. Even though she has never been able to tell me, I know her dream.
Amanda’s dream is to speak. To tell me stories about beautiful, happy things. To share her day with the family at the dinner table like her bother and sisters do.
Amanda’s dream is to sing. To be on stage and sing a song to a huge audience and have every one understand her and want to sing along.
For many years I have made it my mission to make Amanda’s dream come true. It has been exhausting at times. It has been sad at times. It has been expensive at times. I do this becasue I have never given up HOPE that Amanda will speak. Sometimes it is harder to keep that hope alive than others. Right now that HOPE is filling up my heart and pouring out.
Amanda is beginnig to speak and be understood. She is using spontaneous words and phrases that I have never heard her use before. She uses her gestures to help her be understood, but she is actually telling stories. Short and sweet but with a beginning, middle and an end.
How is this possible you may wonder. There are 3 reasons: 1) the Lord above has always smiled down upon Amanda, 2) she has a mother who is relentless in finding her the propery therapy and specialist and advocating for her in every way possible, and 3) Nancy Kaufman and the staff at the Kaufman Children’s Center have worked their magic giving Amanda a voice and teaching me how to implement the techniques.
Amanda has a dream…a dream to speak. This is a dream that is coming true every day and is beautiful to watch and especially to hear.
