Now that Max is 1 year old (14 months to be exact) I constantly receive the same developmental questions from acquaintances, friends, and even some family members who may or may not know that Max had a brain injury at birth.  His brain injury has lead to a cerebral palsy diagnosis which effects and delays his gross and fine motor skills for all four limbs of his body.  They ask questions like “is he crawling?” Or “is he walking” or “how is his appetite?” Or even “is he saying mom, dad, yes or no?”  I always answer back stating what he does rather than focusing on what he doesn’t do, but can’t help to think why do these developmental milestones matter?  Will he not be a child because he does not do these things?  Would I love him less because he is not saying mama?  What if there’s not just one path? What if there’s not just one set of milestones? There are many, many paths on the road to adulthood, and Max is taking the road less traveled. It’s a road with bumpier, less familiar milestones, but it’s still a road.

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