Progress (v)

So silly but a Facebook memory today prompted this post. Levi five years ago. Sleepy, scruffy voice. Newly developed speech. I’m coaxing coaching, coercing him to say “Mama, I love you.” That could be a whole separate blog post and savings account for future therapy for erry one of the Melton kids. So sweet baby boy says Mama and I oooo uuuu. Open vowels but great inflection and eye contact and he just looks happy and well fed and nurtured and loved. His eyes are smiling. He is home and he is ours and he is making gains and that is all that matters in that moment to this Mama.

Fast forward to today. First grade IEP meeting with a sweet and devoted team of speech and teacher and administrator and mom and dad. The system working 💯 the way it is supposed to and little boy surpassing expectations and growing and achieving yearly goals and serving up willfulness and determination with a side of bossiness. He’s got stuff to work on. He’s come so far. 

Two parallel thoughts streaming in my muddled teacher brain. 

Adoption is amazing. How did I get to do this?  Three  times. My kids surprise me and surpass me and surround me with their spirit. A will to overcome. This deep and good soulfilling reminder that life isn’t always or usually wonderful but we can look and listen and trust that God is at work and making a way even when it seems impossible. 

I don’t need to be or have to be worried. Every little thing is gonna be all right. Show up. Do the thing and the next thing and the thing after that. Progress happens. And the progress...that is actually the goal. The goal isn’t really and truly what matters. The progress. That’s where we measure and succeed and stretch and achieve and celebrate. 

So my question to myself and to all of us is- are you progressing?  Are you moving it forward, showing up, all in?  My encouragement as a mom of and teacher to special needs amazing life lesson loves is—the goal isn’t the goal. The goal is momentum, motion, movement in the right direction. 

Intend. Aim. Progress.