I feel joy

The following is a found poem created this week in the narrative medicine group for parents at Holland Bloorview. A found poem is like a collage, but in this case brings together a line of writing each parent wrote in response to the prompt: "I feel joy when my child ..." In the six-week narrative group, parents write and draw about their emotional reactions to parenting children with disabilities as a way to build self-empathy, resilience and peer support. The group is made possible by the hospital's No Boundaries fund, a donor-supported grant that enables staff to bring projects that benefit clients and families to life.

I feel joy

I feel joy when my child turns towards me, lifting her eyebrows and curling her lips upwards to show me her teeth, as if she is to cry helplessly with laughter,

I feel joy when my child is happy, smiling, accepted and not judged by the society,

I feel joy when my child sings too loudly and laughs,

I feel joy when my child is happy, successful and contented, and has achieved what she aimed for,

I feel joy when my child’s smile looks and feels like sunrise.