Category: Blessings

Aaron’s Joy to The World

Today after I picked Aaron up from his day group, we went to our vision center to get Aaron’s bent glasses un-bent.  This will not be the last time we do this.

Aaron was super excited to show me the Christmas antler headband he had gotten at his day group.  Of course, he grabbed it as we left the car and put it on his head as we walked in the door to the vision center.

I saw three other people sitting in the glasses area and thought our wait would be too long so I told Aaron we should just try again tomorrow.

This Plan B of mine was not acceptable to Aaron.

The poor new-to-us receptionist that was headed around the corner to the waiting area was suddenly waylaid by Aaron before I could even grab one of his antlers.  

“HEY!” he loudly exclaimed to her.  “Can I stay and get my glasses adjusted?”

She stammered as I began to tug on Aaron’s coat while explaining to her that we would come back tomorrow because the wait might be too long.

“No,” Aaron said, “can I get my glasses fixed now?  They’re bent!”

“Well, sure,” she kindly responded, “you can get them fixed today.”

“But I think we should come tomorrow,” I began.

But Aaron was taking off his glasses and reached out to hand them to her.

“Here!!” he said, “can you fix them?”

I had to explain that she was not the glasses fixer as she went back to her chair and signed Aaron in and my fate was sealed.

“Wait!” Aaron blurted out as we sat down.  “Since we might have to wait, I need to get my sticker book out of the car.”

He was gone in a flash while I watched him from the window and hit the unlock button on my app.

The car would not unlock.

I tried again.  Aaron stood there staring at me in the window and shaking his head no.

So out the door I went, got the door unlocked, and Aaron grabbed his book before walking briskly back to the waiting room.

Just as we walked in, the technician who knows us smiled broadly as she called Aaron’s name.  

Actually, everyone knows us if I have Aaron with me.

This lady is the kindest person and she loves Aaron.  She complimented his green sparkly reindeer antlers and then asked to see his latest sticker book.  She took all the time in the world to talk to him, all the while with a huge grin on her face and true delight.  

He was already busily filling his sticker book page as she got up to go in the back and work on his glasses.  The page wouldn’t stay open, so he took the mirror on the table beside him and put it on the page to hold it open.  He acted perfectly at home to do that.  

I just relaxed in my chair.  It felt good to take a breath after our very hectic and loud entrance.  It was a big relief to be with someone who knows Aaron and who loves to talk to him.  

Aaron didn’t see anything at all amiss about his loudness.  He was totally unaware that all eyes were on him.

But me…even after all these years I still feel the eyes of the people around us and I struggle sometimes with embarrassment.

Yet I looked at Aaron sitting there, green antlers and all, with the mirror holding his book open and his eyes intent on each sticker being placed just right…

And I thought how to Aaron, everything in that moment was just right, too.  He was getting his glasses adjusted and he was talking to someone who truly was interested in his every word, and he finished the picture he had started.

I looked around and saw the other technicians smiling at Aaron and at me.  His comments were delighting them.

Aaron moved the mirror and gathered his book up after we were done.  He was up and off without even a goodbye as our friend just laughed with…joy.

That was it, I thought.  Joy.

I saw other patients smiling at us as we walked out, Aaron’s green antlers shining as he led the way to the door and the car.

There it was again as we passed them.  Joy.

It was on their faces.  I wondered what was on my face when we first came in the waiting room.  I can tell you it wasn’t joy.

There are plenty of times that Aaron exasperates me but today it did me lots of good to pause and see that Aaron does have his unique and uninhibited way of spreading his own brand of joy to others.  

I want to remember this day.

Green antlers and all.

Uncie Aaron…His Buddy and His Burden

Time waits on no man, Chaucer said.  Time waits on no child, either.  We see this clearly as we watch Ryker growing.  Pictures from a few months ago compared to now show his physical growth.  New words and speaking in sentences show his intellectual growth.  

It brings joy mixed with a dose of sadness as all parents and grandparents know very well.

Ryker and Aaron’s relationship is also growing with time.  We have seen great strides on Aaron’s part in his friendship with his little nephew.  

Sometimes Aaron sees Ryker as his buddy.

Aaron still loves giving Ryker snacks.

Screenshot

He didn’t even mind Ryker taking his favorite chair one day.

They play funny make-believe games.

Wear goofy hats of Aaron’s.

Watch cars zoom down the track.

Do chalk drawings.

Laugh at silly cartoons.

Thoroughly enjoy water balloons.

Blow dandelions.

Play music.

Occasionally share the playset.

Fly a plane.

And one of the best is when they watched our fireworks on the Fourth.

It’s just the cutest thing to see Aaron look at Ryker and say, “Ryker!  Come on!”  Then to see Ryker bolt as fast as he can on his little legs to run with Aaron up the stairs to Aaron’s room where all sorts of fun and unique gadgets await his exploration.  

And snacks that are new to Ryker!  Dots!  Red Hots!  Pistachios! 

And gum!  

So, you can see that we must monitor things closely, sometimes much to Aaron and Ryker’s frustration.

But for all the positive steps forward, Aaron still carries the burden of his autistic way of processing his world and how others impact it.

Aaron sends mixed signals to Ryker.  One minute he might be happily allowing Ryker to play with one of his cool toys and the next he might yell no to Ryker for touching another treasured item.  

Aaron can be hurtful with his words during those times, and inappropriate.  

Therefore, we must also monitor those moments as we try to foresee certain triggers that might upset Aaron.  We’re just never totally in the clear and probably never will be.

Yet, again, the progress Aaron has made truly gives us much for which to thank the Lord.  

The challenges cause us to seek God’s patience and wisdom as well.

Speaking of prayer, this has been one of the sweetest and funniest areas of Uncie Aaron and Ryker’s relationship.  

Aaron has never forgotten a silly prayer that he heard in an old Don Knott’s movie when he was a child.  He sometimes yells it out when we get ready to ask the blessing before eating.

“Rub-a-dub-dub!!  Thanks for the grub!!” 

No amount of correction on our part has kept Aaron from blurting that out sometimes.  So, you guessed it.  One day as we all sat at the table and joined hands, Aaron gleefully yelled, “Rub-a-dub-dub!”

And Ryker, without missing a beat, chirped “Rub-a-dub-dub!!”

Let’s close our eyes to pray now…and let the adults grin real big!

Every night as part of Aaron’s bedtime routine, we join hands and pray.  Ryker has joined us before.  One night I asked Ryker if he wanted to pray with us, so he scurried up on the bed, took our hands, and immediately launched into his own prayer.  We didn’t understand much of what he said, but it was precious in God’s eyes, I know, and certainly in ours.  

Andrea shared with us Ryker’s prayer one night at their house.  I had come over to help with the baby.  Laying in his bed before he went to sleep, Ryker prayed:

“Dear Jesus, dank you Gramoo.  Dank you Uncie Aaron.  Dank you donuts.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

Dear Jesus, dank you Uncie Aaron.  Even in the frustrations…the continual training that sometimes never seems to take hold…the corrections…the monitoring…

May we see the joy he also brings…the laughter…the delight at the simplest things that we often overlook.

And the huge progress he’s made in his role as Uncie Aaron.

Let’s not forget donuts!

Rub-a-dub-dub!!

Uncle Aaron and His Nephew Boy

Time for another installment in the ongoing saga of Uncle Aaron and Ryker, aka Nephew Boy.

Our exterminator, whom we’ve known for years, was at our house not long ago.  Aaron captured him…well, not literally but verbally…and decided to talk to him about Ryker.

“My nephew boy,” Aaron began and proceeded to tell George some news about Ryker.

“I have a nephew boy,” Aaron continued.  “Do you have a nephew boy?”

George did a great job of not laughing although the twitch in his mouth spoke volumes to us.  

I know why Aaron called Ryker his nephew boy.  It’s because soon our daughter will have a baby girl and so we have told Aaron that this little girl will be his niece…that a boy is a nephew, and a girl is a niece.  So, for that conversation, Ryker was Aaron’s nephew boy.

Aaron has come to accept and enjoy Ryker in a way that mostly warms our hearts.  I say mostly because there are still occasions when Aaron will get jealous at something we’re saying or doing with Ryker.

“You don’t do that with ME!” Aaron will say in a huff. 

And one day Aaron, for whatever unknown reason, got upset about his position in life.

“I don’t want to be the uncle,” he angrily asserted.

“But Aaron,” I replied, “you’re the uncle because you’re Andrea’s brother.  You can’t change that.”

“Well,” he said, “she MADE me be the uncle.  She didn’t ASK me!”

We’ve learned it’s best at these times to mostly listen and not try to reason too much with Aaron.  He eventually settles down and before long will probably be asking when Ryker is coming over again.

Of course, at this point Ryker is unaware of any animus from his Uncle Aaron.  Ryker is still at that precious innocent age when he loves everyone…and that definitely includes his Uncle Aaron.  He finds Aaron to be very fascinating and fun.  

Aaron gives Ryker lots of snacks.

Aaron lets Ryker see his really cool toys and gadgets.

Aaron’s room is the BEST place in the house!  There’s a jellyfish lamp and all sorts of squishy balls and flashlights and a frog light with glowing eyes and oh, so much more!

What’s NOT to love about Uncle Aaron?

Aaron is equally fascinated as he watches Ryker learn and grow, respond to him and talk, and eat.  Definitely eat!

Aaron gets right down on the floor with Ryker and watches him with great interest.

Ryker claps his hands when Aaron claps or yells like his Uncle Aaron when Aaron is in his room and lets out one of his funny loud sounds.

Ryker will have so much to learn about his special Uncle Aaron as the years go by.  We know there will be ups and downs with all that process, on both sides.  

It really won’t be that much longer before Ryker outgrows Aaron on every level.  I thought about that after I took a picture of Ryker and Aaron in our car.  Ryker loves sitting in the driver’s seat, turning the steering wheel and punching all the buttons.  

And there sat Aaron, always in the passenger’s seat, having fun watching Ryker play like he was driving.  

Aaron will never be in the driver’s seat.  

But one day Ryker will be.  

 I thought about how some day Ryker will perhaps be driving Aaron to Dairy Queen for his favorite Choco Extreme Blizzard or to Walmart to scour the aisles for a special treat.  

And I pray that God will use Aaron to enrich Ryker in ways that can only happen with a special person like his Uncle Aaron in his life.  

Looking For a Smile

I was standing in the grocery store aisle one day when I noticed someone walking toward me.  I looked up to see an older woman headed my way.  I stepped back out of her way as she came nearer.  I noticed that she seemed to be trudging instead of just walking.  She looked burdened and tired.  Our eyes met and I gave her a smile.  She stopped in her tracks.

“Oh,” she said to me.  “I’ve been looking for a smile all day!  Thank you for giving me a smile!”  

And with that she returned my smile, her happy face beaming.  We talked briefly and left with a God bless you coming from both our joyful faces.  

It cost me nothing to share a smile with this dear lady, yet I felt like a million bucks as I walked away…and I dare say she did as well.

Sometimes smiles come easily.  Solomon talked about that in Proverbs 15:13 when he said, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face.”  

But at other times, I feel more like what Solomon described in the second part of that verse: “…but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.”

Aaron had an epic meltdown last night.  I ended up in joining him on the meltdown wagon.  That’s never a good feeling, for me or him, but especially for me.  My spirit did feel crushed last night with sorrow in my heart.  Guilty, too, and tired.  Gary and I both were spent.

Aaron woke up happy today.  He doesn’t seem to feel the residual effects of these occasions like we do.  Later, he and I went to the store.  There in one of the aisles, I saw two women coming toward us.  In their cart was a little dog.  I knew instantly what Aaron would do.

“Aaron,” I quietly said, “do NOT pet that little dog.  Those ladies may not want you to do that, plus that dog doesn’t know you.”

Aaron, surprisingly, didn’t reach out to pet the dog.  But he craned his neck like Gumby as we walked by, and the ladies couldn’t help but notice.  Then Aaron stopped to stare some more.  

And they smiled.

So, I told them that Aaron loves dogs and asked if he could pet their little guy.

“Of course!” one of them said.

Aaron was very happy, I was relieved and thankful, and the kind ladies smiled and smiled as Aaron gently stroked the dog’s fur.  Turns out his name was Little Bit, which Aaron and I loved.

I thanked them as we parted ways.  Later, as we left the store, we passed one of the ladies and she gave us a sweet, warm smile as she wished us a good day…and I did the same.  

I could tell they liked Aaron and understood that he was special, of course.  This small interaction soothed my sorrowful heart, pushing out most of the sorrow and replacing it with gladness.

This time I was the one in the store with the burden, but two kind ladies took the time to share smiles and Little Bit with a tired mom and a chuckling Aaron.

And I believe God notices more than a little bit those kindnesses that do more than we know to lift a tired heart.

Big News and A Fun Fall

Time for another update!  First, the big news…news that some of you know and some don’t, so I get the joy of sharing it again.

Our daughter, Andrea, came over one day with a gift bag for us.  I was puzzled as I took out this framed picture.

Puzzlement turned to pure joy as we realized what it meant.  As Aaron says, “We’re going to have another baby!!”  We’re so happy and so thankful for God’s great blessing.  

Then several weeks later, another surprise.  We were given a pumpkin and inside…well, see for yourself.

Now Aaron tells everyone, “We’re having another baby.  My sister is having a GIRL!!  I’m scared to have a GIRL!!”  🙂 

We’ve been having a beautiful fall.  We got to introduce Ryker to the fun of jumping in leaves. 

Then Aaron wanted to lead us on a walk around our neighborhood pond.  It was really a precious time of Ryker happily following Aaron, and Aaron turning around to keep an eye on Ryker. 

 Ryker now says Aaron’s name fully and clearly.  He absolutely loves his fun Uncle Aaron.  And Aaron is responding with more interactions and smiles.  We do not take this for granted.  All of us are so very happy and thankful for the loving progress that has been made.  

Another very fun event was taking Ryker trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.  We didn’t know if he would wear his outfit, but he did, and he loved every minute of it.  Of course, this Gramoo was smiling from ear to ear at our adorable little cow!

But another precious part of the evening was that Aaron really wanted to go along.  He wore his Pharaoh costume from two years ago and was as eager as a young child.  

I wondered if anyone would question it when they saw a bearded, balding man at their door.  Thankfully, everyone was kind as could be and Aaron had so much fun. He and Ryker going trick-or-treating together was just another very sweet time.  

Aaron turned 40 this month!  He doesn’t see the significance of that at all.  It’s neat that age doesn’t mean a thing to him.  He doesn’t focus on the fact that he’s the oldest in our family and he doesn’t compare himself to his siblings in the sense of life events or accomplishments.  That’s a real blessing indeed.

I have mentioned thankfulness in this blog several times.  We truly are thankful for every blessing, for every step of progress with Aaron, and even for the steps backward that are an inevitable part of Aaron’s life.  

We are forever grateful for the love of family and for the joy of time together. Thankful, too, for friends like many of you who love and pray for us. 

 And for the certainty that God will guide us in each day and year ahead.

Hurry and Wait!

I’ve written before about how hard it is for Aaron to wait…for anything!  It doesn’t matter if he’s waiting to go to his day group in the mornings, or to Meals on Wheels on Thursdays, or to go shopping, or to watch a program with me, or to eat a favorite meal I’m fixing…waiting is not his strength.

As an example, one night Aaron didn’t want to go to sleep until I came up to bed so that we could do his nighttime routine.  

“Mom!” he said, “when are you coming to bed?”

“I don’t know,” I replied.  “I need to get done with some things, and it’s still early.”

“Well,” he responded, “when you’re done with doing things and it’s done being early, when will that be?”

Oh Aaron.  

He is not easily deterred.

This past Friday night, Aaron was in a tizzy as he was both excited and anxious that his friend Barb, along with her two daughters and a good friend, were coming to take him out for his birthday lunch.  

He wanted to know what time they were coming and then re-affirmed the time over and over.  He talked about where they would eat, what he would order, who was coming, what time should he get up in the morning, etc., etc., etc.

As I was drifting off to sleep, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I would soon hear his steady SLEEPING breaths on the baby monitor on my nightstand, instead it was:

“So first I’ll take my shower in the morning and then I’ll drink my coffee.  Then will I have time to watch a movie, Mom?”

“Mom?”

“Mom?”

 I sure do get plenty of deep breathing exercises.

The next morning, Aaron did take a shower, and he did drink his coffee, but he did NOT watch much of a movie.  Instead, he followed me around the house and then outside as I did some straightening on the porch and in the yard.

He finally got some of his energy out by rocking on the porch, but he is able to multitask, as in talking about waiting while he rocks.

“I just want Barb to come real quick,” he said.  “But she won’t be able to come real quick, right?”

“That’s right,” I replied.

“She just needs to take time, right?” he added.

“That’s right,” I numbly answered.

It was quite for a hopeful minute.

“Does she know how to get here?” he questioned.

I assured him that she did.

He dug in his pocket for his pocket watch.

“It’s 10:43,” he informed me.  “That means it won’t be long till she’s here, right?”

I wanted to tell him that it would be longer than I wanted it to be, but I didn’t.

More deep breathing exercises.

He finally went to sit under the maple tree and crunch mulch in his trash can.  This helps him relax and unwind.  

You have no idea how tempted I was to join him and see if it might do the same for me!

Ahhhh!  Blissful quiet!    

“Mom!  What’s the car of Barb look like?!”

Dear Aaron!

He was beside himself with excitement when the car of Barb pulled into our driveway.  

And he was every bit as excited when the car of Barb brought him home.  He bounded in the house with lots to tell of what they ate and of shopping and of all the goodies he had been given.

We love that these sweet friends gave Aaron a very happy day.

It truly was worth the wait, and not only for Aaron.  

A Big Small Kindness

We were on our way to our daughter and son-in-law’s house one recent evening.  Andrea is struggling with pregnancy nausea.  I asked her if there was something that sounded good to her that we could pick up for supper.  She thought a Burger King Whopper like she had successfully eaten a couple days earlier would work.  

Aaron was going with us and was super excited at Andrea’s choice because a whopper always sounds great to him.  Including him in the supper plans was Aaron’s idea of a perfect plan!  

We went inside to pick up Andrea and Kyle’s order and to place our own.  Aaron was beyond excited, rubbing his hands together and rapidly placing his order before the attendant even had time to ask if he could help us.  

Now, in this moment I can gauge the mindset of workers in restaurants or stores as they encounter an exuberant Aaron.  Some are wary and curious about Aaron, unsure of how to interact with such unusual behavior from an almost 40-year-old balding grown man.  Others are calm and very friendly, with understanding exuding from their demeanor.

This young man behind the counter was the latter.  He was completely relaxed with Aaron, smiling and engaging him in friendly banter.  Aaron recognizes this attitude as well, though he could never sit down and explain it to us.  He just knew that this person was being nice to him, and he reacted with even more talking as he bent over and rubbed his hands together rapidly.  Someday I would not be too surprised to see smoke rising from his hands!

Then Aaron saw the paper Burger King crowns laying on the counter.

“Mom, can I get a crown for Ryker?” he loudly asked.

I said yes as I glanced at the worker.  

“Of course you can,” the young man happily said.  

“Can I have one, too?” Aaron asked.

“You bet!” our new friend replied.

Aaron placed the crown on his head.  Of course, it was too small.

“Here,” the young man said, “let me adjust that for you.”

He reached over the counter, took the crown, made it bigger and then placed it back on Aaron’s head.  

By this time, Aaron was doing his little happy hop, and I thought the kind worker might just join him.

Here was this guy with skull tattoos all up and down his arms, showing love to our Aaron, and I wanted to hug him, skulls and all.

He filled Andrea’s order for a slushy drink.  Aaron’s big eyes lit on that, and he wanted one as well.  I agreed, so our happy worker filled a cup for Aaron.

“Put your card away,” he said as I took out my debit card.  

He wouldn’t hear of me paying for Aaron’s drink.  

I looked into the eyes of our skull tattooed, rather rough looking worker, and saw kindness.

“You have a very kind heart,” I told him.  “Thank you so much.”

“Well, I try,” he replied.

Kindness certainly comes in all shapes, sizes and forms, doesn’t it? 

Aaron pretty much makes an impression everywhere he goes.  But so do those who reach out to him with love and acceptance.  Those people touch our lives more than they know.  

I am so grateful for the love these kind ones share with us as they interact with Aaron.  It’s a love that grows both in our hearts and with others.  

I have experienced great love shown to Aaron from some of the most surprising people.  Some of our Meals on Wheels clients, for instance, live in very difficult circumstances yet they show Aaron a sweet love that is beautiful to see every week.  

Our skull tattooed Burger King worker is not one who would necessarily be the person I would have picked to be such a blessing to us on that day, but he certainly was.  

It’s a huge reminder to me to not assume a person will behave in a certain way based on their looks.  

Sometimes those who may seem like the least according to the world’s standards end up being the ones who really do the most in the ways that count the most.

There’s no such thing as a small kindness in God’s eyes.  He sees each one as big.

And I’m so thankful for those big, small kindnesses in our life with Aaron!

Uncle “Awa” Update

Once again, it is way past time for a family update.  Lack of time and often no lack of tiredness sure make it hard to write like I want.  Or like I used to long ago.  Anyway, here I am at last.

Can you tell from my title what sweet news we have about Uncle Aaron?  This past Saturday evening at supper, Ryker started pointing to Aaron and saying, “Awa.”  He did it over and over and was so happy at our reaction.  Aaron was his typical unemotional self, but Ryker didn’t care.  He kept pointing at Uncle Aaron and saying “Awa.”  And he didn’t want Aaron to leave the table.  

We could tell, though, that Aaron was pleased and later he told me that it made him happy.  He told his staff at his day group, too…a sure sign that it makes him feel special.  It was such a sweet and heartwarming moment to see Ryker saying Aaron’s name in his own precious little way.  

Aaron still likes to share with Ryker, and is playing more with him, too.  It’s mostly playing in small ways but it’s a good start and shows that Aaron is getting more comfortable with his little nephew.

Aaron claps quite often, and often those claps are ear splitting.  I’m sure he could win a clapping contest, hands down!  (Sorry.  That was corny.) Ryker watches Aaron closely and has now started copying Aaron when he claps.  First comes Aaron’s super loud claps, followed by Ryker’s little baby claps.  And then come lots of smiles from all of us.

One day Aaron let out his deep “Ho Ho Ho” laugh and Ryker suddenly copied it perfectly.  It was hilarious!

Last week we went over to Andrea and Kyle’s, stopping on the way to pick up some burgers.  Aaron saw the BK crowns on the counter and asked the worker if he could have one for Ryker.  This young man happily said yes and then offered one to Aaron.  It was another sweet gesture from Aaron to Ryker.  

Aaron still has his moments of uncertainty and jealousy, evident in the statement we hear the most when Ryker is here:  “You don’t say that to me.”  

Or:  “You don’t bounce with me.”  

And here’s one, said after I commented that Ryker is adorable:  “Do you think I’m adorable?”

We always assure Aaron of our love and call to his attention the ways that we show him that love in an adult way.  There are times we are still walking on eggs with him when Ryker is here.  Aaron does love our full attention and to share with anyone else, not just Ryker, often goes against his grain, especially if that sharing interferes with Aaron’s sacred schedule.

But all in all, we see huge improvement and it’s truly a cause for praise to the Lord as well as being sure to praise Aaron for ways that he is being nice to Ryker.

And we have one more bit of great news.  Andrea gave us this picture a couple weeks ago.

Ryker will be a big brother next May!!

We are thrilled and so very thankful!

Aaron is not quite as thrilled, but he isn’t totally against the idea, either.  He has told people that he doesn’t want Andrea to have another baby but then he tells others about the coming baby in an excited way.

Typical Aaron, up and down, depending on the moment.

Typical me and Gary, depending on the Lord for patience and wisdom, which we do not always show.  

But remembering to be thankful for every victory and every bit of good news.

Uncle Awa.  

That’s some very sweet news right there, times two!

Aaron and The Violinist

A couple months ago, Aaron found a CD in our van that he had not listened to before.  I saw that it was an instrumental CD produced by Chelley Graves.  Chelley is an accomplished violinist who taught our daughter violin for quite a few years. 

Now, Aaron only likes to listen to music that has people singing. Instrumental music is not his interest. He will even skip songs on his CD’s that have no singing, which is very telling since Aaron goes from #1 to the last song without ever skipping a song because one does NOT skip numbers. 

He popped the CD in and sat back to listen as he examined the CD case. It didn’t take long for understanding to sink in.

Aaron: Mom, doesn’t Chelley sing?! (He pronounced her name with the hard CH sound, as in check)

Me: No, Chelley (soft CH) is a violinist. She doesn’t sing on this CD.

I figured that was the end of listening to this CD. But no, Aaron kept listening to song #1, #2, #3, #4. Since you’re not Aaron, I don’t need to keep counting but you get the picture.

I was very pleasantly surprised!

The next morning, as we left the house for his day group, Aaron pushed the rewind button, and we went from #8 all the way down to #1. He wanted to listen to the whole CD again!!

This was AMAZING for Aaron on so many levels!!!!!

This was AMAZING for me on so many levels!!!! 

No more wobbly voiced Elvis, either!!!!

Chelley’s beautiful music was filling our van and making us both very happy!

Aaron was intrigued with the fact that I know Chelley.  One day he told me that he wanted to send her a card to tell her that he liked her music.  I messaged Chelley for her address and Aaron wrote her these precious words.

And then a few days later, Chelley messaged Aaron.  I printed her message and handed it to Aaron.  

I wondered how his face could hold his enormous smile.  

Aaron placed Chelley’s message on his bed with his collection of special items that he carefully arranges on his bed every night, surrounding him while he reads and listens to music before he goes to sleep.  Her letter is also on Aaron’s desk every day, a testament to how special it is for him to be acknowledged.

Chelley has recently been playing her violin at an Italian restaurant in our city one or two nights a week.  So, last night Gary and I took Aaron to this restaurant as a special treat, but also for a very fun surprise.

Chelley knew we were coming.  As we sat in our booth, she came to our table and spoke to Aaron.  He was puzzled at first but when I told him who she was, there was that huge smile again. He told her that he liked her music, and of course then he had to show her his sticker book that he had brought with him. Chelley was so gracious and kind.  

All during our dinner, he would look over at her as he listened to her play so beautifully, and his happiness was once again on his face and in his eyes. 

 

Kindness shown to Aaron means the world to us.  So does the opportunity for Aaron to show kindness to others as he did to Chelley when he wrote her that note.  

We came full circle in a sense, all of us sharing in the joy that Aaron brings in his own unique and uninhibited way.

And here’s hoping for less Elvis and more Chelley!  

Skittles and A Super Bowl Ring

Nearly every day that Aaron is at his day group, one of the staff will take him the short distance down the road to the nearby Quik Trip.  This little outing is the highlight of Aaron’s day.  He loves picking out what food and drink he will buy.  

Aaron especially loves Skittles, but his picky mom (ME!) has told him that he does not need to buy Skittles every day…and he definitely does NOT need to spend the majority of his money on the big bag of Skittles.  A small bag of Skittles a couple times a week is OK.

Aaron has made this rule of Mom’s a big deal.  A very big deal.  He has talked it to death with me…teased relentlessly about buying Skittles when he didn’t buy them…told the staff over and over and over again about how “Mom said NOT to by Skittles!!…and I am quite sure, has talked loudly and clearly to the Quik Trip staff about how his Mom said not to buy Skittles.  

During Christmas, Aaron was taken on his regular trip to Quik Trip.  And guess what?  He was given a special gift from the workers there.

You can probably guess what it was.  

A very BIG container of yummy Skittles!!

Just look at Aaron’s face and you won’t need me to tell you how happy he was.

How I laughed when I saw these pictures!

But more than laughter, I was so touched by the kindness of the Quik Trip workers who obviously have gotten a kick out of talkative Aaron’s Skittles stories. 

What a very nice thing for them to do!

Fast forward now to last week.  Aaron and I had run into our nearby Dillon’s, where he hightailed it to the deli counter as soon as we walked in the door.  I finally caught up to him, only to see him bent over rubbing his hands together and talking loudly in great delight.

“MOM!!” he nearly yelled, “they have Cheddar Pasta Salad today!!!”

Aaron’s love of Cheddar Pasta Salad is well known among the deli staff.  Actually, it’s well known among many of the Dillon’s staff in other departments as well because Aaron makes sure that everybody is at the receiving end of his talking.  

So, on this day I agreed to let him buy a Cheddar Pasta Salad…a LARGE!!…of course!

The very nice woman behind the counter has been getting to know me and Aaron.  She is very patient with Aaron no matter how busy she is.  She has experience with autism because of her own young son.

She happily filled the large container to the brim with the salad while Aaron excitedly oversaw her every move, all the while eagerly talking to her about the upcoming super bowl game.  She told us how busy the deli was as they were preparing platters for the game, and then asked if we would like to see one of the deli trays she had just made.

She showed us the pretty tray and pointed out the super bowl ring that was part of the decoration on the side.  

“Hey Aaron,” she said, “would you like a super bowl ring?”

“Yeah!!” he eagerly answered.

She handed him a ring and he put it right on his finger, a smile spread across his face.  

At Meals on Wheels a couple days later, he wore that ring and showed it to everyone on our route.  

There it was on his finger while we ate our burgers later.  

And I was impressed with how the kindnesses shown to Aaron in these two experiences also show the caring hearts in so many people that cross our paths.  Kindness doesn’t have to come in the form of giving Aaron things, either.

Kindness is also shown by a smile.

Or by not staring at Aaron like he is some sort of oddity.

And certainly, by being willing to listen to Aaron if he happily corners you somewhere with talk of his latest game or book or movie or SKITTLES!!

Being kind to our special son is a huge gift to not only Aaron, but to those of us who love him so much as well.

All our special people will thrive under the sunlight of love and kindness that shines down on them from those we encounter every day.

I am very thankful for those that know this and practice it in our lives. 

Pass the Skittles, Aaron!