Another Milestone, Another Blessing

I don’t know where you stand on the issue of God, but with regard to my daughter Shana, our family has been repeatedly blessed over the years. If you’re interested, read on.

Two years ago, the school district recommended that we move Shana from inclusion to a special day class (special needs children only). This was a serious emotional blow to us as parents because we had always hoped that she would be able to “keep up” with normally developing children her age (albeit with support). Although we went through a “mourning” period as a result of this transition, we were blessed to secure placement for her at an excellent “alternative” school within the district (K-8th grade). We were ecstatic because it meant that Shana wouldn’t have to change schools for five years. What we didn’t know then was that most of the middle school programs for special needs children in our district focus on the development of  “life-skills”. Because Shana is just now learning how to read, we weren’t ready to throw in the towel and abandon the focus on reading, writing, and basic math skills.

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has an open enrollment policy, so we had to re-enter the application process to find an appropriate middle school placement for Shana. Once again, we were blessed to find an academically-focused program in a school that’s only five minutes from our home. As we pondered the upcoming “logistic” challenges of Shana going to middle school (class periods, lockers, P.E., etc.), we also had to think about ways to prepare her for the transition. It may sound redundant to you – but we were blessed again by being able to enroll Shana in a summer program offered by the Beacon Center, located at the same campus she’ll be attending this fall. As she has at every “place” in her young life, Shana quickly gained the love and affection of the program staff and has learned to navigate her way around the building.

This is the final week of the six-week program and it ends with a climactic event (for most “city kids”) – a three-day, two night camping trip. Other than one or two sleepovers, Shana has never spent a night away from home – on her own. On the other hand, our girls are thoroughly familiar with what it means to travel and have repeatedly demonstrated that they’re “flexible” and comfortable sleeping anywhere. With that in mind, we sent Shana off to her first overnight “camp” this past Monday. I’m not an overly sentimental guy, but as I watched her walk across the schoolyard with her duffle and sleeping bag – a giant lump formed in my throat.

Monday evening my wife and I were on edge, waiting for a phone call from the camp counselors asking us to come and get Shana (she’s about an hour or so away). The call never came, nor did we receive one last night. This afternoon, we’ll pick her up at the school campus – having accomplished another milestone and experienced another blessing in what has been an amazing life. God is good…God is love.