Karen and Thom Horsey

Karen and Thom Horsey

Interview transcript

Th: oh, i’m so mad that we didn’t take more videos now of her. but who would know. it’s so funny to look at when she first started walking. what was she, 28 months when she first started walking? it was over two years, i know.

KH: Right because they said if she didn’t walk by 24 months…
TH: that she wouldn’t walk.
KH: that she wouldn’t walk. and as usual, Liddy did things on her own time schedule. and at 28 months, remember, she started to walk around the coffee table and then all of a sudden she started, she would just hold on and make circles and bang things on that table.
TH: Right
KH: And then she started to take her steps and she was so happy. and that’s when i knew to throw out those stupid milestone books, and that Liddy would just be Liddy, and i would just be happy and rejoicing in every little thing she did, and not to worry about those stupid books with their stupid milestones, because you can’t live your life measuring your child against the norm.

TH: The thing i remember is how she developed and how she learned to walk into the classroom and went right to her chair and just sat right down, she pulled it out. She knew exactly what to do. And i don’t see Liddy not speaking as a loss because she was so expressive, she was always laughing and giggling and you know, it doesn’t strike me as that was anything that was missing in a way, because she was just so active and expressive. and well god she laughed the way she laughed so much

KH: That’s the thing I miss the most, that without speaking, how her soul could fill the house. and you just knew she was there. (crying)

TH: I could tell where she was by the sound of the (??) that she was banging or whatever, you know

KH: If you think about it Tom, in 8 years she profoundly changed who you and i are, and how we live our lives. and if she was sitting here, what i would say is thank you for making me a mom

TH: Yeah.
KH: it was the greatest experience i’ll ever have.