And there are more developments on the horizon, because the medical world is full of marvels to help people like my son live a more independent life.<\/p>\n

I would like people to know that limited language does not mean limited knowledge and limited movement does not mean limited engagement.<\/p>\n

I would like people to know that cerebral palsy comes in all gradations, like levels of difficulty on a mountain range. Just like people, no two cases are ever the same.<\/p>\n

I would like people to know that questions are good, are welcomed, are better than silence and stares.<\/p>\n

If you see us in the grocery store and wonder why my six-year-old is riding in the shopping cart, please ask. If you see us in the park and he is rolling alongside you as you run down the asphalt, please ask. If you say hello and he waves without words and you wonder why, please ask, because he might just answer in his \u201cJoshua\u201d voice.<\/p>\n

There are so many kids like my son, with CP in so many forms who wish and fight to be a part of the bigger and faster moving world. If you see a little girl in hot pink leg braces holding the hand of her mother and teetering across the school parking lot, please ask or lend a hand or cheer her on, because we all need a round of applause now and then. If your child has a classmate with a personal aide and has always wondered why, encourage them to ask. Asking brings answers and answers bring knowledge and knowledge brings awareness.<\/p>\n

And awareness is what this month is all about.<\/p>\n

This month our family will don our greens from head to toe like a field of wild clover because we want to stand out. We want to be asked. We are ready to celebrate our eldest child who is a lover of the guitar and math equations and vanilla soft serve, and who also happens to have CP.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n