Kay was supposed to have one more PT and Speech session left next week before starting kindergarten. However, her new school sent an email letting us know they are doing a practice run for kindergarten next week for two hours, and one of those days happens to fall during Kay’s therapy session.
As much as I was sad and a little caught off guard, this opportunity was just too important to miss. With Kay starting kindergarten soon at a brand new school, getting a chance to practice the routine, meet the environment, and begin feeling comfortable before the first day is something I know will help her transition.
But it also meant saying goodbye a little sooner than I expected to the people Kay and I have grown to know and love since she was only 1 year old.
Now she’s 5, and this therapy community has watched Kay grow in so many ways. They have been there through milestones, challenges, celebrations, and countless obstacles. They have seen the hard days and the breakthroughs. They have supported not just Kay, but our entire family through this journey.
This is the part of special needs parenting they don’t warn you about.
They tell you how busy your life will become. They tell you about the endless therapy appointments, the schedules, the paperwork, and all the things you will have to learn along the way. But they don’t prepare you for the moment when it’s time to say goodbye to the people who have walked alongside you through some of the hardest and most beautiful moments of your child’s life.
Therapists become so much more than just people who provide a service. They become part of your village. They celebrate the wins with you, encourage you through the struggles, and become familiar faces that your child looks forward to seeing every week.
Change is exciting, but it can also be incredibly bittersweet. I am so proud of how far Kay has come and excited for this next chapter, but I will always be grateful for the people who helped us get here.
Thank you for loving Kay, believing in her, and being such an important part of her story. We will never forget the impact you have had on our lives.