You may have wondered why I haven’t blogged about Aneika of late...Well today is her 16th birthday and I will dedicate this entry to my beautiful daughter Aneika whom I would love to be able to wish happy birthday to but am not able.
For those of you who know Aneika you will know of her creative talents and that she has had many struggles throughout her life. At this time those struggles have become too much and it is easier for her to run from them and pretend they don’t exist then to confront them.
As a child Aneika was a happy girl most of the time who loved to play with her siblings. She had a wonderful imagination and would spend hours doing craft and creating things. Yet she would also have times when she would seem confused and cross for no reason and we would call her our little Medusa and love her all the more. She had an intense phobia of dogs so much so that her little heart would beat so fast it would seem as though she had run a marathon and she would shake uncontrollably, and at times become immobilised. Together we worked through this.
She enjoyed school, yet seemed to struggle with her learning. One teacher said to me when she was in grade 1, she knows more than she is able to get down on paper. After some assessment it was concluded that she was dyslexic, so through primary school we tried various programmes to help her. Even though she did make progress being behind her peers took its toll on her self esteem. It was terrible to hear her call herself ‘dumb and stupid’.
At 13 she became anorexic, and together we worked through this; though community resources for help were limited. The emotional issues behind the weight loss were never fully dealt with. She put on weight, but reverted into herself and began pulling away from us.
My beautiful daughter is troubled by depression and anxiety; and if you have ever had a loved one experience this you will know how heart wrenching it can be. You want to help but they continually push you away and you are at a loss to know what to do.
Today she turned 16....Today I shed a tear
4 comments:
Thinking of you all and hoping one day Aneika will be a lot happier within herself. I loved working with her in YWs and hated seeing her go through so many hard things.
i cannot to begin to imagine how hard today was for you Tammy and Jason...our thoughts and prayers are with you...
i remember that gorgeous talented little sunbeam so well....
You had me in tears!
Poor girl.
She came into Priceline on Saturday with a friend looking for a job.
Hopefully she'll work things out in her own time and come back to her family and the church.
Prayers are with her and the Rowlings family.
Jess.
Dear Aneika, How I would love to tell you how smart you are. Many people have problems learning and have gone on to become Doctors and teachers. I miss seeing you. I knew you were special when you were a little girl. You dont know me very well. But I have some of the same issues you have. Please remember you are not alone. MAny people love you even if you dont realise it. Jenni Kift xxx
ps Mum and Dad you are loved too. and thought of often.
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