I bet a lot of people would describe their families as different. What is a normal family, and who ever achieves that? Plus, to each of us, our families ARE our normal, it's what we know. My families awesome differences come in 2 special children with special needs. My youngest sister, Candace, has autistic qualities and has never spoken. She's now 23. My only brother, and the youngest sibling I have is Will, and he also has some handicaps. I won't go into the details because I actually don't remember the names of his diagnosis, and if I butcher it and write the wrong thing, I'm sure I'll hear about it from the rest of my family :) Will was adopted into our family when I was in high school and he was just a few months old. He was and continues to be a blessing to me and everyone he meets. He came into our family when we weren't really looking for another sibling, but it was undeniable that he was meant to be with us. Will is now in high school, 16 years old, and although a little awkward at times, he is truly a sweetheart and an awesome kid. He has been a source of joy to me for all 16 of his years and I can't imagine our family without him.
When I was in Arizona visiting my family last month, a sweet girl asked my brother to Morp. (Morp, for those who don't know, is prom backwards, a kind of Sadie Hawkins dance where the girl asks the boy). I was so excited to actually be home when he was asked to the dance (and at least where I'm from, people ask in these cute ways, not just walking up to someone and asking if they want to go). She left a cake for him to dig through to find her name, and even had an ASU football with "Would you TACKLE Morp with me?" on it, showing me that she also knew enough about him to know he is a die hard ASU fan. When he was going through the cake he tried to play it cool, but my favorite part was hearing him get ready for bed that night, singing "I got asked to a dance by a GIRL!" in the shower.
Last Saturday was the dance, and he had an awesome time. I knew he would. I am so grateful for someone that he goes to school with to see what an amazing guy he is and want to show him kindness and help him have a good time and experience things that high school kids experience. Watching a child like this grow up in your family, you always wonder if he'll get to experience some of the same things as other kids, because sometimes, the answer is no. I don't know if he'll be able to live on his own someday. I don't know if he'll be able to get married or have a family. I DO know that he got to have a great time on a date to a dance with a beautiful and thoughtful girl. This girl has no idea how many people's lives she has touched with this simple act. Thank you for showing me that his peers can see what we see in this fantastic kid--that he's amazing and fun, no matter what his other struggles might be. I should also thank the good friends he has that support him daily, it truly touches my heart to see so many kind things being done for my brother. In a world where bullying and violence is often the topic when it comes to social situations at school, I am so grateful that many teens have chosen not to let that be them, and have chosen to make a difference for the good by supporting those around them, and trying to make everyone feel good about themselves.
