Disability, But Not Disabled.

Every morning before taking Robby to school, I find myself fretting about our outfits. I strive to make sure that he is wearing unstained clothes (a requirement which severely limits his wardrobe) while I try to find pants that conceal my prosthetic. I'm not ashamed of being an amputee, but it is important to me that Robby's peers get to know him on his own merits, not as the child of a robot Mommy.

Yesterday morning was especially hectic. Robby slept in--a habit that astounds me. He has been up at the crack of dawn every day for the past five years. The moment he enrolls in school he starts to sleep past 6:00. Still sound asleep at 8:10, I knew I had no option but to wake him up. He apparently does not appreciate being woken up!

I suppose that my forgetting was inevitable, but I have to admit that I am surprised by how quickly it occurred. Scurrying around, trying to get him dressed and fed, I completely forgot to worry about my outfit. For the first time, my prosthetic was fully exposed when I dropped Robby off at school.

It didn't occur to me that my leg was showing as I walked him into school. It wasn't until I opened the classroom door and a little girl leapt off the circle time carpet to get a closer look did I realize that I was making my prosthetic debut. Had I known my leg was going to be taking a starring role, I would have put on a clean sock!

I spent the next ten minutes trying to get Robby situated and leave the classroom. My hopes of exiting without disturbing the lesson were destroyed as I was bombarded with questions from his little classmates, all of whom were nothing short of fascinated. Robby, of course, remained oblivious about the attention my leg was garnering. In an uninterested manner, he simply responded to his little friends inquiries by saying, "Oh Momom doesn't have a fake leg; she's just wearing her Proprio today."

On Friday I will be talking with Robby's classmates about my amputation and prosthetic. After speaking with his teacher, we've agreed that it is best to answer all of their questions at one time so that this isn't a constant distraction. I am excited about this opportunity, but I have no doubt that Robby will be bored during my lesson.

I love that my prosthetic use is simply a mundane reality for my little boy. Prosthetics, bad leg days and socket issues are as openly discussed around our dinner table as the news and gossip from work. He doesn't seem to realize that his mom is viewed as disabled by the majority of the public. He knows that his Momom is always ready to kick a soccer ball, play tag or go sledding. Although I have a disability, Robby realizes that I am anything but disabled.Hopefully his classmates will feel the same way after our talk on Friday!