The mailbox brought a Christmas card to our house. It came from another "SMA Family". Much like our family there are three kids and the youngest has SMA.
I admired the beautiful pictures of the children, read the words written, and shared it with Lindsay. Later I returned to the card and looked more closely at the pictures. Beautiful photography captured the three children sitting on the ground; the two older ones on either side of the younger. I noticed how the little one was nestled lovingly in-between the two. To an unfamiliar eye one would never know that the baby of the family had a neuro-muscular disease which can compromise the ability to sit unassisted. I knew though.
I knew and I was amazed at how the siblings were positioned to provide sitting-support for their younger sibling. They all "leaned" on one another in a way that would depict that all three children had developed typically up to this point in their lives. The smiles in their eyes spoke of a love for life, family, and the Christmas season. They were looking slightly off center of camera as if captivated.
It brought me to contemplate the role that siblings play in the complex world of SMA. Our own children, Ava, Henry and Ella, have similar moments captured on film...the "untrained" eye would never suspect anything was awry based on the picture itself. The physical support speaks well of the support siblings knowingly and unknowingly provide for their affected sibling.
The type of bond that is forged between unaffected and affected siblings in terms of SMA is an amazing phenomenon to witness. With the innocence of childhood, the unaffected siblings take it upon themselves to care for one another in ways that simply cannot be taught. The affected sibling provides an avenue for the development of a compassionate, nurturing environment. The whole time, however, they treat each other as typical siblings might--fighting, bothering, and all that comes with brotherhood and sisterhood.
We can learn much from the simple dedication an unaffected sibling demonstrates towards an affected sibling. We can take much from their natural examples of caring without hesitation, supporting without distraction, and loving without self-denial.
Looking at the Christmas card I couldn't help but project the image into the future...for those three kids and for mine. The scene that enveloped me was one of caring, nurturing adults who leaned on one another during all the times of their lives.
Merry Christmas...
I admired the beautiful pictures of the children, read the words written, and shared it with Lindsay. Later I returned to the card and looked more closely at the pictures. Beautiful photography captured the three children sitting on the ground; the two older ones on either side of the younger. I noticed how the little one was nestled lovingly in-between the two. To an unfamiliar eye one would never know that the baby of the family had a neuro-muscular disease which can compromise the ability to sit unassisted. I knew though.
I knew and I was amazed at how the siblings were positioned to provide sitting-support for their younger sibling. They all "leaned" on one another in a way that would depict that all three children had developed typically up to this point in their lives. The smiles in their eyes spoke of a love for life, family, and the Christmas season. They were looking slightly off center of camera as if captivated.
It brought me to contemplate the role that siblings play in the complex world of SMA. Our own children, Ava, Henry and Ella, have similar moments captured on film...the "untrained" eye would never suspect anything was awry based on the picture itself. The physical support speaks well of the support siblings knowingly and unknowingly provide for their affected sibling.
The type of bond that is forged between unaffected and affected siblings in terms of SMA is an amazing phenomenon to witness. With the innocence of childhood, the unaffected siblings take it upon themselves to care for one another in ways that simply cannot be taught. The affected sibling provides an avenue for the development of a compassionate, nurturing environment. The whole time, however, they treat each other as typical siblings might--fighting, bothering, and all that comes with brotherhood and sisterhood.
We can learn much from the simple dedication an unaffected sibling demonstrates towards an affected sibling. We can take much from their natural examples of caring without hesitation, supporting without distraction, and loving without self-denial.
Looking at the Christmas card I couldn't help but project the image into the future...for those three kids and for mine. The scene that enveloped me was one of caring, nurturing adults who leaned on one another during all the times of their lives.
Merry Christmas...
