“Looks Like You Had A Great Time”

Today our family went for a boat ride.

When we finally docked after being on the water for a few hours, a sweet older gentleman walked by, saw our three adorable kids and said…’looks like you had a great time?!’

Jamie and I both looked at him and said unanimously…’oh no! It was awful.’

But we said it with a smile and a laugh and the man couldn’t help but laugh with us.

See, it was 57 degrees, windy, cloudy and cold. I had thought it would be a beautiful fall day and a wonderful opportunity to wear hoodies. I was wrong. It was freezing. Everyone was cold. Especially me.

No one sat still. For some reason all three boys had ants in their pants today. Especially Sawyer who bounced off the seats most of the time.

Cooper waited for trains to roll by and when they didn’t he asked for trains. A thousand times. And when he learned that I couldn’t magically produce them, he threatened to throw shoes, a broom, and a pillow overboard. He did not actually throw anything though.

But the baby did. He threw his sippy cup over and then proceeded to cry for it for the rest of the boat ride. It was nap time too.

I never stopped moving. Not once. I may have even cursed my husband for getting the luxury of driving the boat while I dealt with life jackets, shoes and reality.

Sawyer ate all the snacks too and then asked for more. All three boys wrestled at one point. There was a football incident. Jamie was feeling a little tired from celebrating his 42nd birthday yesterday and I was a little tired from being alive during a pandemic.

So, it was a lot.

But. And it’s a huge but. It was wonderful. Even though by anyone’s standards our day was a hot mess. But we didn’t care. Not one bit.

Because for 9 years we never went anywhere but school and therapy. Because, well, lots of reasons. Our son doesn’t understand this world and well, so often, the world doesn’t want to understand him. He is 9 and is autistic. He struggles to wait and sit and stand and walk and even though we are working on it every day of his life…the same amount of grace isn’t given anymore. Because Cooper is growing up. He is almost double digits. A big kid. And people don’t understand.

But this summer, we discovered boating. And now, we have somewhere to go. It’s the biggest, hugest blessing for our family.

So, when that sweet older man asked if we had fun and we told him no with huge smiles I get why he laughed with us.

‘You are young’ he said. ‘With young kids. It gets better. I promise.’

We responded with…’we don’t mind. It was just nice to be together outside of our house.’ And we meant it.

Count your blessings. Be grateful too. We prayed for this hot mess. Three kids and two parents arguing on a boat. It felt nice.

Change those perspectives moms and dads. It will change your life.

Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook, subscribe for exclusive videos, and subscribe to our newsletter.