When #MightyWoody was first born, I had a lot of anxiety about the social isolation of having a child with a difference. I had not considered it before. We didn’t know about his arm until the moment he was born, and so we hadn’t done any processing prior. In those early weeks and still periodically even today, I get pangs of isolation and even shame. Not a feeling of being ashamed of him, but the shame that periodically comes up in parenting because I’m not perfect. Because there are no answers and there’s no “why” or explanation, it can be hard to move beyond this. What this has done for me - for which I am so grateful - is teach me about the team that is family. I understand the depth of family and what that truly means so much more now. And not just relatives, the extended family of the broader community. While it has been a struggle, this is where the gift comes in. And of course, my brilliant college roommate and dear friend @quinn.t.c.leslie knew this even before I did. So we had #TeamWoody from the beginning. He’s the captain leading us all down this bumpy and fascinating journey.
