It took every ounce of my courage to admit that we need financial help. I’m usually the one sharing other people’s campaigns, and I’ve donated a fair share to people we love and care about. Acknowledging that we’re now in that position was hard.
Not because of pride or because I could feel superior to “those people” who need help. No, it’s because I felt guilty. Like if my own medical bills weren’t mounting or if we’d said no to our kids’ extracurriculars or if we’d planned better or…or…or…
Or all the very things I would never, ever dream of thinking about someone else’s need.
And yet, I fear others saying it about me. I worry that we’ll be judged as having been frivolous, or that our other privileges mean we can never ask for help when we need it. I wonder if people will just think we’re overdoing it and our daughter just needs to toughen up and work harder.
So here we are. You can read Sarah’s story at the link. That’s the short version. The much longer version is the 14+ years we’ve had the honor to be her parents. She is funny as heck, smart as a whip, kind and caring, socially conscious and ethical, creative, talented…the list goes on.
We want the best for her, of course. But this testing isn’t about wanting to give her every possible advantage. It’s about making sure that her needs are met and she can continue doing the things she loves. If we can find out how her brain ticks, then maybe we can unlock something inside her that will help her find success in school.
I know the real answer is probably much harder: an entirely revamped educational system that meets students where they are and works with them for positive outcomes at every level. Right now, that’s a pipe dream. We don’t yet have that system. So we’re asking for help within what we do have.
If you can’t help us directly, then please help by sharing the link to the fundraiser. Every little bit counts, and your support means so much to us.
With much love,
-A.M.
