M is for Mountain

flikr photo by raspberryfairy

We are kind of being buried by an avalanche of letters here.

Or, maybe it's just me.

Stumbling over a landslide of large letter boulders and formations...

Climbing across acronyms and peering through words, condensed into letters, that somehow take on a whole 'nother life in their meanings and connotations.

No, we are not just learning our letters, "A, B, C."

Though we are learning our letters, on that level, with multiple kiddos....and that is a lovely thing.

We are learning all new letter sets, and these letter combos have, or take on, a life of their own.

In some ways, and some instances, these letter sets and acronyms are very helpful, insightful even.

And in some ways, they redirect in the wrong way.

They are purported as helpful but in fact they direct your attention away from what is important and off to that ever so enticing realm of speculation and worry and discrimination and stigma.

I know, this is so vague. In a way it has to be, due to all that discrimination and misinformation and stigma. But it just sets me afire to think about all that and any of it lobbed at my kids. So I get a little protective (and then get all bent out of shape that I even HAVE to be). Because really, these are NOT in ANY WAY qualitative words and letter sets. They may well be descriptive, especially if you take the time to look at the objective definitions of the terms. But then again, they sometimes are a catch all...and are not all that precise after all.

I know, at this point you're thinking, "Just what the heck are you talking about?" But then again, I suspect some of you might be nodding your heads, you know exactly what I'm talking about because you are living it too. You know some of these fun combos: ADD ADHD BP SPED LD DSLX ODD MR ID CD SZD ED IEP IQ MDD ESL ELL ...buried yet? Blinded by the letters? Maybe you want to shout out loud sometimes too? Maybe you want to know that you're not scrambling across all these letters, through these rocky hills, alone.

Well, that's what I want to know.

Anyone out there?

Because if I just keep this all tight, close in, then I go into the indigo blues and I feel like a big faker of a mom in the know.  And yes, that does make it all about me, and that's wrong on so many levels. But it's right on the one level that I know: this forum. I think I can trust this blog and the folks I know who see it. This blog has connected me with amazing wonderful folks, moms, people.

And I think it can again. . People who can let me know that they know some of those letters, with their child. And they have been there, done that. I have been there, done that, with many many of those letter sets. But there are new ones too. And those are the ones that it would be nice to compare notes about, maybe.

We moms, we tend to unite, to get behind and give a tug or a shove or a nudge when needed. We brainstorm and compare ideas on what worked and what didn't. And as I've gone through the many years of raising kids, that assistance has been invaluable (if a little late, ahem, Jean). So, as I am once again wandering a new road - left turn - I know better now. I know to reach out and shout to see if anyone else is here.

I'm all ears.

And I always read that you shouldn't cross the mountains alone, take a buddy.

And these acronym mountains, how to cross through them as a parent, with school and life in general?

I think I need a sherpa.