I am a dad.
It is the most difficult and most rewarding adventure I have ever embarked on.
In my house, I am daddy. The first time one of my children called me daddy was a day I will always cherish and never forget. From that day on, whenever I hear one of them call me daddy, I will always have a smile on my face and love in my heart.
I am daddy to two beautiful girls. One is four and one is three years old. My four year old is Brianna and my three year old is Ali. (Their names for this blog). Brianna is a full of energy, talkative, beautiful, intelligent joy. Ali is a loving, always smiling, wonderful, intelligent joy.
Ali was born under different circumstances that have lead to her current condition. From birth until now, she has had many trials of living. She is three, yet she can not stand, walk, talk and requires a wheelchair for freedom of movement. She has Ataxia and Hypertonia. Armies of specialists from neurologists to geneticists can’t tell us what is causing this or what it even is. She has to have assistance in small tasks such as eating as well. Through all this, she is happy and ever so loving.
They are my girls. I am their daddy. They are my greatest gifts and nothing is greater then that in my life.
With every child, the day will come for the first day of school. For me, this day came too early and without much warning. I couldn’t believe my girls were already going to school. Just yesterday, they were just being born and I was holding them for the first time.
Both would be going to Pre-K at the local elementary school. Since Ali needed assistance, she was put into the ESE program. Since Ali had a wheelchair, the bus would be one of those buses with the automated wheelchair ramps. The bus would come by our house and transport them both to and from school.
I am one that likes to be prepared for whatever comes my way, usually. I was not ready for this day.
The bus comes early, which means we needed to be up earlier. On that day, my wife Amber (her name for this blog as well) hit the alarm on her side of the bed; then woke me by hitting me in the side. “Wake up, first day of school.” The day was here and I was not ready.
We got the girls up, picked out clothes, made lunches and everything that needed to be done to get ready.
“Are you ready to go to school today?” I asked Brianna.
“Yes daddy”. She answered with a big smile.
She was very excited to be going to school. After everything was ready, we waited for the bus.
The bus came down the road like a loud, yellow caterpillar. Turn in, back up, and go forward. The bus stopped, the big door opened and the bus driver came out.
We all said hi and had our pleasantries. She opened the door to the lift for the wheelchair.
Amber and I gave Brianna a kiss and hug. She happily got on the bus with a smile.
Ali was sitting there in her chair with a look of fear and confusion. We talked to her and gave her kisses and hugs as well.
She was about to ride on a lift that looked more to me like an elevator to transport astronauts to the space shuttle.
We got her onto the lift, set the brakes on the chair and the lift started up. All the while me and Amber were talking to her and trying to calm her down. She looked at us with tears in her eyes, crying for comfort. She made it to the top and was strapped in on the bus.
The bus driver closed the door and got into the bus. She then closed the big door to the bus.
My wife and I waved, smiled, blew kisses to our children.
In a minute, the bus left in a cloud of dust.
Although every parent goes through it, this was my time.
I knew everything was fine and I would see them see them later that day.
I still wasn’t ready.
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