Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Knowledge quest

Read, Read, Read.  It is what I do.  I have always been a big reader.  In Grade School, I would read on the bus, in High School, I would sneak my mom's romance novels. I was in "Adventure's In Reading" geeky kid group in school.  From Gone with the Wind to Lonesome DoveBeowulf to Flowers in the Attic... I've read them all.  I've been in book discussion clubs and am a huge fan of those old musty buildings known as libraries (recently heard that line in a movie).
When I met Bryan and found out that he was also a huge reader, I jumped for joy.  Finally, a guy I could talk literature with!  Together, we read novels and compare thoughts.  Every night, we read before bed.  We read the newspaper and discuss news stories at breakfast over coffee.  We read magazine articles, I'm embarrassed to say, in the bathroom.  I read while I breastfeed Roa at naptimes. 
Big followers of the written word.

Lately, my reading genre has changed.   All I read are books about Brain injury, Cerebral Palsy, Conductive Education and alternative therapies.  I read blogs from other great parents online.  Articles from medical journals about current research in motor delays.  Parenting clips on every developmental topic.

 Do I still enjoy reading?   Very much! However, my reading has taken on a new feel. I read with passion and a sort of desperation.  I read out of necessity to uncover the unknown.  I read out of love for my son that is guiding me through this maze of diagnosis', doctor reports, and therapist notes.  And I admit, I read out of fear.  Fear of failure and future heartache.

Bryan jokes with me, "Put down the book, log off the computer.  It will all be there tomorrow".  But, will I have the time tomorrow to fit my quest for knowledge in??

One of my greatest fears of late is that Roa, with his mid-brain injury, will not be able to read.  Language and the understanding of words and written symbol is a mid-brain, left hemisphere function.  Could it be that the son of two very avid readers COULD NOT READ??  It saddens me to no end to even have the dreadful thought. 

So, we read to Roa often and faithfully.  I read while we snuggle in the morning when he wakes, I read to him at naptime, Daddy reads to him each night at bed.  Roa has such a love of books and the stories they bring of firetruck sirens and bunnies with mamas who love them so much!  His eyes light up when we search for the hidden mouse or find the moon on the page.  

We love to read and we will read TO Roa for the rest of his life, if he cannot do so himself.  Because, no one should live a life without a good book that is being read.

10 comments:

  1. I love to read too and could really relate to this. It's hard to find the time to fit in a knowledge quest isn't it? Especially when juggling therapies and little ones! I should be reading to Elijah more. We do read daily, but he doesn't enjoy it like he used to. But, irregardless, I should still be doing more of it. Keep on reading for you and for Roa; you both benefit.

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  2. Dear Jennifer,

    Thank you for your most cathartic and salutary posting.

    You will see my own response to this at:

    http://www.conductive-world.info/2010/02/read-this-i-feel-awful-about-it.html

    If you haven't fallen into the CE blogosphere yet, can I recommend the following for a first bite:

    www.susie-mallet.org

    http://zsippzsupp.blogspot.com/

    Good luck, and be in touch...

    Andrew Sutton.

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  3. Sorry, I forgot to add:

    http://www.conductiveeducationinformation.org/

    Unforgiveable!

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  4. Dear Jennifer,

    It seems Andrew is a bit faster than I am. I was also going to recommend the blogs of Susie (www.susie-mallett.org) and James (zsippzsupp.blogspot.com) for some introductory CE reading.

    A bit about me...I am a conductor working in Ohio, at a center which offers both CE and HBOT. I found your blog through Google Alerts.

    Happy Reading!
    Kasey

    p.s. Great playlist!

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  5. Hello Jennifer,

    I came across your blog yesterday. As soon as you mentioned your visit to check out Conductive Education it seems that Google alerted several people, me included.

    I read and enjoyed some of your blog yesterday then today I enjoyed your posting on reading. It is especially moving .

    You are one of very few mums that I have come across who also worries about her disabled child learning to read.

    Many are pre-occupied with the children's physical movements, especialy walking, that sadly so much time is taken up with this so that such important things like reading get neglected.

    Even if Rojo doesn't learn to read he will be so enthused by both you and your husband's love of reading that he will still be streets ahead of many other children.

    And a bit about me....I am a British conductor living in Germany and I write a blog.

    I try in my blog to write about conductive upbringing rather than Conductive Education.
    I write for myself, for young conductors and for families who are on the long road following a conductive life-style, or who are just embarking on it. Maybe some of the postings will be useful to you and give you some of the information you need at this time.

    As Kasey says James writes too, from the point of view of a parent.

    I look forward to reading more of your postings.

    Susie Mallett

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  6. Hello Jennifer
    Knowledge Quest is such an *important* read. Perhaps it speaks to me as a parent too but also because in the long ago world that I used to live in I was an English teacher. Reading, the stories we tell ourselves and each other, the life of the mind and the imagination, all are as important as the physical.
    I hope you don't mind, I've added your blog to the collection of blogs at 'The Conductive Web' (http://bit.ly/91XB6U), which you might take a look at.
    Someone who continually gives me hope for my own daughter (Sarah, now 27, who can't read or write but loves her laptop, sending & receiving emails) is Glenda Watson Hyatt; a woman who is outstanding in her field by any standard. You might like to take a look at her blog. http://bit.ly/1amEHU

    Thanks for sharing Knowledge Quest.

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  7. I have just read your posting and would like to add my comments too. I have been an avid reader all my life and know how you feel about along with your frustration at not finding material on a topic you wish to gain more knowledge.
    I was librarian at the Foundation for Conductive Education for 18 years before being made redundant, and built up the library there. Now I maintain my blog www.conductiveeducationinformation.org in an attempt to keep Conductive Education information spreading. If I can help in anyway by suggesting material please do get back to me via the email address on my blog.

    Gill

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  8. Just realised my typing on the previous comment is apalling - please accept my apologies for lack of punctuation and missing words. This was the result of rushing it!

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  9. Hi I am another conductor who was alerted to your blog by google alerts. I really enjoyed reading your posts, especially this one about reading. As Susie commented parents are usually concerned primarily with the physical development of their child, when asking a parent what are their personal aims for their child they quite often respond "to walk". It is always nice when the response is different. It is just as important to read, write, communicate and be educated.Reading obviously bring happiness to you as parents, which will in turn make your son happy.

    Will look forward to seeing more posts as you start your new conductive life.

    Becky

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  10. I would like to offer a simple rule-of-thumb tool to help you (and everyone else) clear a way through all the garbage that you will find to read on Conductive Education.

    Simply cast aside ANYTHING that talks about 'the principles of Conductive Education'. It is just possible that you might miss something of value by doing this, but you will avoid a load of tosh and clutter, and in doing so clear yourself a lot of intellectual space to move around and consider what else you do find.

    Good luck...

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