Lessons from the Summer...

I am so sorry that I am just now writing again on my blog. I have to say that we have had such a great summer as a family that I have just been lax in writing. The great news is that we have seen so much growth in Aleks this summer that I feel more at ease about Kindergarten in a few weeks. I have also been blessed to talk with so many parents and teachers who read this blog and are walking their own journey with autism in so many different ways. Thank you for sharing your stories with me. I learn from you as much as you feel like you learn from me.

Some of the lessons I've learned this summer I want to share with you in hopes that they'll touch you or someone you know.

Lesson #1: My daughter is capable of so much more than I ever give her credit for. I am constantly amazed at how much she knows, how quickly she learns but also her love for life and adventure. Over the summer we had the great fortune to spend a weekend at our friends' cabin on a lake in Northwestern Minnesota. I knew Aleks would love the lake, swimming and just being with their two kids. What I never expected was Aleks riding in a special two person tube pulled behind a speed boat. Not only did she and her friend ride in the tube but she LOVED it and wanted to go longer and faster! She wasn't scared, but excited. Had my girlfriend not encouraged me to let her try I never would have thought she could do it. How wrong I was to think I knew her limitations. Check....learned that lesson.

Lesson #2: You will never believe the growth that is just around the corner. I met a teacher last year who has a daughter in 8th grade who is also on the spectrum. The teacher shared with me that her daughter isn't the same little girl who went into Kindergarten. She shared how much her daughter initially struggled in school and how different she is today. Today, this same little girl is in 8th grade, gets off the bus on her own, walks home, calls mom to check in and starts her homework...all on her own. She told me that if I had asked her when her daughter was 5 if this day would ever come she would have said probably not, but she sure hoped so. Today, I see huge jumps of growth in Aleks that a year ago I couldn't imagine. Check...lesson being learned everyday on this one.

Lesson #3: How to be a friend. This is a simple and yet poignant lesson for me. I know that a lot of our kids share this trait; they are just plain accepting of others no matter what their physical or mental challenges. Recently we had Aleks at her swim lessons when a mother and a teenage daughter with Down Syndrome walked in. I've seen this young girl many times and knew that she didn't speak very often but always walked in with a smile. Some of the other girls in the locker room were staring, not Aleks. In fact, she was in the shower in her suit and walked out and stood right in front of this young woman. She stuck out her soapy, soaking wet hand and said, "Hi, my name is Aleks. Would you like to be my friend?" I watched this young woman's face light up as she shook Aleks hand and jumped up and down. Aleks was thrilled and then gave her a hug. That was it, but it was so moving. I looked up at the other girl's mother and saw her teary eyes looking back at me. It was a huge moment of pride in my daughter and a huge moment for me of celebrating her differences.

This summer has been about lessons, adventures and amazing growth for all of us. I can't wait to read this a year from now and see where we are. To put it in perspective, 2 1/2 years ago my daughter was testing at a 12 to 18 month old range with her vocabulary and large/small motor skills. Today, she is testing at 5 years old+. Thank you God.

xo

Melissa