Joy & Pain!

This article was originally written on June 19, 2019. But I’m resharing it here.

Yesterday my youngest son with developmental disabilities graduated.

He had been anxiously awaiting this whole year so he could walk across that stage! He knows how much of an accomplishment it is for himself.

However, he injured his knee during an after school activity and I still can’t understand what happened, but he did not allow his circumstances to hinder his moment to shine.

He has so much joy in the midst of his pain! He was wheeled across the stage. And cheered literally for every single graduate including himself.

He even threw his cap in the air several times to show his joy and excitement! (Their not supposed to do it but he did.)

I just love the fact that he has remained in great spirits! And he was shown so much love as he stood up from that wheelchair and shook the Superintendents hand.

He is moving on to achieve more things in his life.

Some of you may be able to relate to this feeling of gratitude and overwhelming joy because maybe your child was also given a poor prognosis at one point in their life by a specialist that would have declared them as “brain dead” or a “vegetative state” & said to never walk or talk.

So I said all that to say this, NO MATTER WHAT some others may think or form negative opinions about my son at first glance or laugh at him or stare, these people TRULY have no idea who he is, and what their missing out on in getting to know Erik. For the majority he is loved and so well received, but there are always still those who choose to be rude, choose to be ignorant, choose to laugh at him, or don’t want to shake his hand or reply with a hello. Because he is “different” than their “normal” or their idea of what “normal” is.

So to these people… Just because your life may seem close to perfect, or maybe hasn’t been flipped upside yet or you have never been put in a situation where you have had to overcome adversity, or live with health challenges, or you just think your stuff don’t stink, you just keep on living, and I can guarantee you that life has it’s own test and trials to put you through to teach you exactly what compassion, empathy, understanding is. And life knows how to interrupt your good flow and take whatever is the most precious to you and make you pray to God that maybe you never recognized before because you become desperate for change.