April is limb difference awareness month and combined with this photo of Tommy from yesterday I’ve been spurred to write. Tommy is a mischievous, bubbly two year old who meets life head on. He bursts into our kitchen with the door rattling on its hinges and announces gleefully ‘I’m back’. He is a confident and happy child for whom life is an adventure. Yesterday I took hundreds of photos of him and his sister LJ as they played in the garden. Although there are loads of images of Tommy this one really struck me. Not because of any technical quality in the photo but because it shows a child who is happy in his own skin. He’s content, he’s holding his bucket with his little arm, life is just what he makes it. It’s not a struggle it’s just the way he does things.

The quote below is from the inspirational Molly Stapleton founder of the Lucky Fin Project Lucky Fin Project

I’m so proud of my son and daughter-in- law for the way in which they have always supported Tommy. He’s never mollycoddled he’s just loved. Each week brings a new challenge, toilet training is different as Tommy has to learn to leave time for him to take his trousers off, planting seeds is fun but he wants to wear grandma’s gardening gloves, riding his bike means leaning forward to hold the handle bar, spreading butter on his toast is a bit hit and miss at the minute but it’s all a learning curve.

His little sister copies him, they are inseparable and he is alternately her protector and tormentor – it’s ok she’s a feisty little thing!

This post is meant as a celebration for all those who have limb differences and for their families who give them the self belief they need. The photo below is from a Lucky fin meet up last year – these three are a force to be reckoned with 🙂 #luckyfinsrock