One of the most glorious things in my life happened this morning. Our sweet little energetic Chloe bounded out of bed early on a Saturday morning and offered her “sous chef” skills. She requested permission to prepare herself bread with almond butter and jelly.

Before I go any further, you should know that I am neurotic about MY kitchen. It comes from my background working with food, when cooking happened in a clean white jacket and everything was organized and labeled, it’s a system not everyone appreciates like I do, particularly 6 year olds.

My bed was warm and my back ached, so I granted permission and off she went. I prepared myself for a sticky counter and jars with missing lids, realistic expectations go a long way when finding balance with the force that is Chloe. I went down and much to my surprise, there was no evidence that my little sous chef had been in my domain. I asked her where the jelly was. She opened the door to the fridge and said “mise en place!” It was a miracle, she does hear what I say! It was so much more though. Everything does have its place and that’s why I’ve been struggling with October.

Eight years ago when Claire was diagnosed with RTT October was Rett Syndrome awareness month. An article in the paper actually led to us meeting other families, it was a point in time that raising awareness was crucial. This year I have struggled to raise awareness as it feels like I talk about Rett all year-long, I don’t want to be the person who just talks about their issues and constantly takes. Yet the slow constant stream of progress needs to be shared.

I am working to find a new place for Rett syndrome in our life. It ‘s not in the center and it certainly won’t dominate an entire month for me. It’s always going to be there, guiding many of our decisions, setting some boundaries and testing our limits. I don’t have an answer for this today but I do know that I am looking for a new place for Rett Syndrome, everything deserves it’s place, just not in the center.