His World Makes Him Happy
Let me tell you about this boy.
He is one of a kind for starters. Which is one of my most favorite things about him.
He dances to music no one else can hear with courage and joy.
He is more himself than any person I have ever met. Unapologetically.
But he also comes with some pretty strict rules. Ones he has created himself.
He does not stay up late. Nope. By 9 pm he is in bed every night.
He watches the same movies on repeat. And has since he was 2 years old. After 8 years of Blue Mountain Mystery I could recite it word for word. And yet he still gasps with joy and shows me his favorite parts as if it’s the first time for all of us.
He has no time for a sleepover with friends. Or a movie party. Junk food is not his thing. Because he only eats certain foods.
Those things don’t make sense to him.
You know that feeling of putting on your most favorite sweatshirt? The one with holes and the neck is all stretched out but it’s your favorite and you refuse to throw it away?
That’s my son’s world. The one he guided us into creating for him.
He knows the rules and what’s coming next. He is our home. Our constant. He demands that we stand still now and again. And it feels good. It feels right.
Last night our middle son had a sleepover. They played NHL on the PlayStation and watched Space Jam and ate strawberry ice cream, gummy worms, and Funyuns. All at once.
They stayed up late and played hide and seek and it sounded like the house was going to fall down.
As I tucked Cooper into bed at 9 pm he tapped my arm and said…’SSS-AW-ER.’
That’s his brothers name. The brother who sleeps next to him every night. The one who smells like a hockey player and feels comfortable and warm to him. The one who was having the time of his life in the basement.
‘SSS-AW-ER mmmm-ooo-mmmm.’
He doesn’t quite understand. He doesn’t understand why kids would stay up late and eat ridiculous food and watch movies that don’t have trains and keep their pants on after 8 pm.
I honestly don’t know if he ever will.
Some days I feel like the world is passing him by. The kids are growing up around him and he is staying in the same place.
And then I remember, and gently remind myself, that his world makes him happy.
He is happy. He is content. And while I gently push him now and again to try a new food, go down a slide, visit a pumpkin patch and so on…it’s not my place to change his world. It’s my place to let him grow at his own pace.
I just want to make sure that the ones moving on check back in now and then. That they know just how special they are in this boy’s world.
‘I’ll have Sawyer come say goodnight buddy. Don’t worry. He’s still here.’
This mama stuff…whew, I feel it in my heart.
If this story warms your heart, grab a copy of my book, Forever Boy, for more just like it. Happy, sad, joyful, hopeful, all mixed together at once.
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.
