Jul 19, 2007 23:38
Make a list of what pleases you and pick one thing to write about for ten minutes.
List:
rain
being alone
classical music
sleeping next to someone
laughing
tyler's laugh
smiles from strangers
simple phrases
showers
cuddling
writing
running
Tyler's laugh/smile.
Sometimes, when you spend so much time with an individual without speech, your forget they have emotions too. Sitting in my lap Ty looks up at me, awaiting my command. He knows how the session is run. Work, play, work, play. During work, there is no distraction and during play there is little structure, but how often do the two combine? Something simple as putting my large hands against his dainty cheeks results in the emittance of a wondrous noise from his usually quiet body. The simple smile and following laugh bring an enormous smile to my otherwise sullen face. Why is he laughing, what is he laughing at? I do not know, but in the moment when he pushes my hands against his tight, bunched cheeks, I can't help but laugh along. No one would understand it unless they had been there. We can look at eachother and burst into laughter--who knew? What makes this connection- the one between the twenty year old college student and eight year old autistic child- that results in spontaneous laughter that really makes all the sense in the world to those involved. So we sit. We smile. We laugh. We bond. We connect. Its the simple look in those speckled blue eyes that can cause a roaring laughter for minutes on end because although he cannot communicate with his voice, its obvious when its just time to take a second and have fun by the look in his eyes. And moments like that reaffirm the idea that its okay to be a child, goofy and have fun, regardless of the intended plan of action. And those few minutes bring the greatest happiness to my day.