We ran up to my aunt and uncle's today. They have a pool, and Joey loves pools. A big, in-ground pool. Joey was excited the whole way up. We told him he was goign to see his cousins and go swimming, and we had a joyous chorus of "Joey's swimming in the water!" all the way there. It was only an hour and half.
This is one of those days when the idea of Joey being disabled simply isn't in the equation. He simply is who he is. Yes, we had a good bit of tracking today, and that meant he didn't engage with his cousins so much, but he did enjoy seeing them. He loved being in the pool. Andy certainly had a blast hanging out with the "big boys" (the boys are actually my cousin's kids, and they are some 4 years older than Joey). The thing was, even if Joey couldn't focus on a game or fully engage with the other guys, he was having fun. He was trackign because he got worn out from all the excitement, but that is just his way. We only had one screaming fit, and that was because Joey could have stayed in the pool for the rest of life and been happy, but he was exhausted and cold and really needed to get out and get dressed. Like any little kid, he anted to keep doign what was pleasurable, despite falling asleep on his feet.
It didn't matter that he couldn't talk like other 5-year-olds. It didn't matter that he couldn't really socialize like other kids. This was his family, and he could be who he was, just as he was, and that was fine. I wish all my family was like that. Ah, wishes again...
Sometimes you pick your battles. We'll just keep taking him around to the ones who love him, and not inflict the others upon him whenever we can avoid it. He has better things to do. Life is short.
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5 comments:
Isn't summer grand?
Glad you and Joey had a great time.
Joe
I so totally LOVE your last graf...you're spot on! Life is too short. Sounds like a glorious day for Joey ---you, too. :-) I always love watching Nik playing in the water. Such pure, unabashed joy.
We've slowly (sometimes rather painfully) been learning the lesson --- focus on the positive and having a good time. In some battles, the other side has no desire to really participate.
Water is good.
As long as he is having fun, that is all that matters :-)
We've just passed the 8 year 'benchmark' [what is that exactly?] Since 5:30 this morning [jet lag] he has said approximately 7 inappropriate [mainstream] words. How many words should an 8 year old say whilst on holiday?
Of all the things we have seen today, people we have met, the vortex of 'foreign and different' as opposed to what you are experiencing of what might be described as 'normal family stuff' there are gulfs that they cannot cross be in 2 inches or 2000 miles. But happiness and contentedness are there even if no-one else can see it.
Cheers
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