Dancing Queen- Sometimes this blog is not just about photography. ;)

16 Apr Dancing Queen- Sometimes this blog is not just about photography. ;)

My daughter Sana is turning ten years old. She is tiny, beautiful, mischievous, savvy. She also has more than anyone’s fair share of challenges. When we adopted Sana out of foster care, we knew some of what she would probably struggle with, but it’s been years of learning and growing and adapting and overcoming to get where we are today. We are unbelievably lucky to have her in our lives, and I cannot imagine a life in which she was not my daughter.

When she was a baby, she was rigid and couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep in my arms. When she was four, she had rages that lasted hours. When she was six, she couldn’t handle being touched gently on the shoulder unless she knew you were coming, and sometimes not even then. My precious daughter, who came home when she was only six weeks old, suffered from Reactive Attachment Disorder- an inability to form loving, trusting connections- for seven years before we knew what was wrong.  We are incredibly lucky to have found the help we did, and I only wish we had found it earlier. This August will be my third year volunteering for a week at the same “Radical Attachment Camp” that saved our family, and I’m now certified as a parent trainer for other parents of heartbroken children.

This year, for the first time, Sana was strong enough to be a part of a regular dance class with “normal” kids. I’m awestruck by how far she’s come. She greets me with hugs, cuddles into bed with me Saturday mornings, and despite many learning differences, is learning to read stories to her little brother.

I have the utmost respect for the infinitely patient photographer who took pictures at her dance studio today- 5-15 kids in ten minutes, my word! I’m sure I’ll have lovely photos of her in bright costumes and improbable poses. 😉 But in honour of her coming birthday, and in amazement at her beauty and strength, here is my little dancing queen.