I asked other special-needs moms what their New Year’s resolutions are. Here’s what they said.

  1. Potty training my son.
  2. Hearing my boys speak.
  3. Having hope.
  4. Decreasing my anxiety.
  5. Losing weight.
  6. Going back to school.
  7. Embracing my reality.
  8. Working out each day.
  9. Having more motivation.
  10. Getting a new job that pays more.
  11. Finding respite care.
  12. Praying more.
  13. Finding a church we can attend as a family.
  14. Eating better.
  15. Having a better relationship with extended family members.
  16. Understanding my child’s needs better.
  17. Staying in good health.
  18. Helping my daughter find friends.
  19. Getting more sleep (if my son lets me!)
  20. Joining a gym.

So many moms, so many resolutions. Over a year ago, I had a lot of these goals too.

In the fall of 2015, I was juggling meeting the needs of my eight-year-old son who has autism, homeschooling my ten-year-old son with dyslexia, opening our home every week for Bible study, and working as a writer and editor. I found myself at a point of exhaustion. It was all too much. I wasn’t eating well, sleeping well, feeling well, or even loving others well.  So I devoted a month to better self-care. I took time to find out what made me feel my best and then put those habits into practice. I realized quickly just adding “be in bed by 9:00 pm” wasn’t going to transform my life. I needed to get to the root of my issues. And what I found at the root was the sin of pride—thinking I could do it all on my own.

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