Some people say that I knew what I was ‘getting into’ when I adopted four spectrum kids. The implication I believe is that ‘knowing what your getting into’ eradicates any empathy for the problems encountered while ‘being in’ whatever it is you are getting into. In my case those problems would translate into ‘challenges raising my crazy kids’. Personally I disagree with this concept. Fact is I didn’t know and it doesn’t eradicate. But even if I had known (what I was getting into) even if I had been able to see the future I still would have done it … maybe even faster. But don’t kid yourself … that doesn’t mean it was easy.
It does mean that I now posses a very unique perspective on life and have special criteria for happiness. Like last year when I spent 24 hours riding cloud nine because my 29 year old son put his underwear on standing up. (Quite a feat of self-control and independence for him.) Best part was the happiness spread: When I shared the news with his sisters they were almost as happy as I was. In fact his nieces and nephews were also impressed while his no-longer-on-the-spectrum brothers took it in stride but complimented him for learning.
Since Dar is such an amazing good luck charm my family is blessed with this type of good fortune. Again the best part is the blessings spread: Dar – via hi disability – teaches me. Everything I learn from him gives me blessings. And then I pass it all along by teaching others.
Of course I am not just blessed by Dar I am blessed by all my children and grandchildren and all the children I happily help internationally. Best part is when the blessings come back to me in the form of them learning what I teach: independence. And now we get to the point of my blog. Last week Dar and his seventeen year old flew from Las Angeles to Dallas. They had to change planes and find their way through the airport together. The entire trip was uneventful.
Amazing: From standing up for underwear to standing in line (without an authority figure) for a plane. What a difference a year makes (even in the adult child)! And now that he can flit around the country visiting sibling after sibling “What am I going to do with all this freedom?”
This week I got a black eye maybe next week I’ll just stay home and write another book 🙂