One year Brace Anniversary

The August marks one year since Emma started wearing her back brace.  Sometimes it feels like it went by fast other times I cringe at how much time she still has left. Emma would say that it was me who had the biggest adjustment to her wearing the brace.  I would have to agree.  It has been hard to adjust to Emma having to be encased in a hard plastic thing all day everyday.  I feel sad when she misses out on more pool time.  I feel sad when she has to set a timer for her 1 hour out each day and then race to get back in it.  I feel sad when I watch her sleep at night in the one position that is comfortable.  I feel sad when she is trying to bend over to tie her shoes and struggles.  I feel sad when It is really hot and humid and Emma has to wear a thick hot undergarment, her brace and a shirt over that and she drips with sweat.  I feel sad when I rub her back at night and I have to avoid all of the pressure point bruises.  Ironically, Emma rarely feel sad about her brace.  She climbs trees, hikes, and lives her life.  She does hate the limited time out but usually just shrugs it off and willingly puts the brace back on.  She is the first to tell me that there are people with much worse issues to deal with than hers.  She complains about many things but her brace is not one of them.  She does her daily physical therapy (OK, she DOES complain about that frequently) she participates on her soccer team, she runs in 5k races, she does not let the brace stop her.  The fact that Emma is not sad makes me a little less sad.  I am so proud of how she has handled herself this past year.  Emma is awesome. I sometimes hope that the next 2,3 or however many years she is in the brace go by really fast.... and then I remember that this is the only childhood she gets. The only one I get to share with her.  I don't want that to go by really fast at all.  I am going to take a lesson from Emma and live life to the fullest and try not to be sad about what was taken away and enjoy all that she is and all that she is doing still.