When I read stories about special needs children it is often with a disconnected mind, not because I don't care, but because I don't want to, or can't imagine the amount of pain, time, patience, care and, above all, love that goes into having a child who isn't "normal". I find parenting my perfectly healthy child to be an enormous challenge much of the time, so I think my limitations for what I can handle have already been set.

I am sure all parents think that until they are faced with the necessity of drawing upon reserves that they didn't know they had. I am sure some fail, but most succeed, and for that, they are special too.

I still pray for the health and well-being of my unborn child with the same fervor as I pray for the strength each day to bring me one step closer to being a better mother. Some days God's with me, some days he's busy. But every day it's up to me, and when I am not consumed with self-pity I count myself lucky for being given a child who is easy to love.

So do these two fathers. All children should be so lucky.