A simple email w/ a few words letting me know Reid is ready to register for 8 grade. 8th. Grade. No I'm not sitting here remembering how he was a baby ( he was never really a baby), how he's grown bigger (which..OH MY GOSH..he has) or anything else. I'm thinking of how PROUD I am he's made it this far. This kid, excuse me, young man has beaten so many odds thrown his way. And every time I think he's going to give up..he gets back up. Again..& again. He fights every day to stay home. School is loud, the kids are JERKS & staying home would be safe. Comforting. But every single day he puts on a BRAVE face & goes. I know grown people that call in to work if it rains. (Seriously, I've done that..no judgment here.)
And I know...I know what some people are thinking right now. It's no big deal. And to you or your kid it's probably not. But to MY son..it is SUCH a big deal. To face a huge fear every day. To slay the GIANT every day..is a big freakin deal. Making him get on the bus when his tics are so bad he CANNOT talk, or walk straight..is a big freakin deal. Tourette's is not a forgiving thing. It comes & goes as it pleases..leaving him vulnerable to whatever it decides to do that day. Make him stutter, make him NOT be able to open his mouth at all, twitch so hard he looks like he's having a seizure. Asperger's too. Everything is loud, bright, smells are too strong, clothes actually hurt. All of these things alone would give me every excuse to do nothing. Much less face going to school where (almost) every kid you see has something to say about your issues.
So, several years ago when Reid was diagnosed w/ both of these Syndromes, I had a few questions for his Dr. I asked what he could or couldn't do etc. The Dr. looked at me & said "It's important for you to mourn the loss of what you thought your son would be. Because he WILL not be that kid. He CAN be the best Reid though. And that's pretty damn special." My son did not make the honor roll. He didn't even come close. But he freakin showed up. And he stuck with it. No matter what. And now he's about to be in 8th grade. And that's pretty damn cool.
