Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sweet Sixteen is Sad for Caroline
Our precious Caroline turns 16 in a few days, but has no friends whom to invite to a party. She has been very sad these last few days about how her sisters all have friends and things to do and places to go with them, but she sits at home, with no one to go to the mall with her , or to a movie, or anything. Her pain is our pain. Taking her out of the school after the first quarter was necessary as she was failing English, her best subject, because she couldn't remember grammar to save her life and the grammar was heavily weighted led to friendlessness all over again. She was so discouraged to be failing when she should have been a straight A student that her emotions were affecting everything else. Her concussions compromised her memory too much for her to succeed in this school. We don't doubt our decision to subsequently homeschool her, but the ramifications are that she is friendless again. When you are a 16 year old girl, with nothing to do outside of schooling at home because you can't play your favorite sport after an injury has sidelined you for the season, life is quite unbearable. I wish we could do something to ease the pain of her loneliness. Moving will help, as she can make a fresh start and make new friends, and hopefully will be able to stay in school for a whole year at a time. I really can't wait to get to CO. We need change. Caroline needs new opportunities for school, church, and friends.
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8 comments:
I share your pain.
I know this comment probably won't help much, but I'm so sorry and I wish that I could be a friend to Caroline. I'm thirteen and bipolar, my mom just showed me this blog. I guess I just hope Caroline knows that people who don't even know her care about her. I'm sorry for both your and Caroline's pain.
I totally understand. My 17 year old daughter is in the same boat. Kids her age are moving on (getting drivers' licenses & cars, going to parties & dances, working at jobs, in drama plays, in sports, dance recitals, taking the ACT & checking into colleges, and hanging out with other kids and then posting a million pictures on facebook) while she struggles to just hang on. She's had 6 hospitalizations in the past 4 years and seems to be going backwards instead of moving forward. Her friendlessness is very painful for me, also. In fact it just breaks my heart.
It is good to know that others have similar struggles and heartaches. The teen years should be full of fun and adventure and deep friendships and she has not much of any of that. If she makes it to college, we will be amazed and grateful just because of all of the hurdles she faces. But if the movie The Blindside taught me anything, it is that a lot of faith and a lot of hard work pays off, and someone believing in you, that you CAN do it.
Hi! I have bipolar as well, although don't have the other complications Caroline seems to have. I have my own blog, it's web address is beeperandproud.blogspot.com if you want to have her check it out! I'm also trying to start a foundation actually to help children with mental illness' like BP, eating disorders, depression, etc to receive a wish, like in the Make-A-Wish foundation, but for kids who are mentally ill. I myself am only 14, so it's been hard to get this started, but with the drive and ambition I have gained from actually being denied a wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation because to them, BP isn't "in their deffinition of life-threatening, BP doesn't count" which as a mother to a BP daughter, I'm sure you can see my frusteration because of how it actually is. Anyway, if you have a facebook, The page is "Wish For The Future". Please help me spread this! By doing this I'm hopefully trying to deminish the stigma or at least help rid the world of the inapropriate division of people because of mental illness. Thank's a ton! ~Olyvia
I can relate. My daughter has 2 friends and it is such a struggle for her to keep them. Each time she loses a friend she loses a piece of herself. She things that she is nothing and it breaks my heart. Caroline will be whatever she wants to be. I always tell teachers and the rest of the special education department in our school that, "Abigail will do great things... It is our job to get her there." I know that it is hard but in the end she will remember all the help and love that you have given her.
Rebecca
http://www.bipolarkidconnection.com
Rebecca, we are going to try to enter the public school realm when we move for Caroline. I am sort of dreading it and also looking forward to it. I am not looking forward to the whole IEP thing at all. Hopefully it won't be so bad.
Hi Olivia! I am glad you found this blog and thank you for writing. I am a little behind in my responses lately. I am mad that Make A Wish denied your wish when you are absolutely right, it is a life threatening illness. Congrats on making your own page! I look forward to reading it and sharing it with my own daughter!
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