Last night, my little man was in a play. In front of all his classmates. In front of all their parents. And then he read his poetry. And stole the show by hamming up the telling. His impish grin spread through the crowd as everyone felt his delight in being on stage.
My boy. My Alec, who, not so long ago would not have wanted to sit in that room much less be center stage. How did we get here? I'm not entirely sure. He has worked so very, very hard. Every day he works at doing all the little things we take for granted, like sitting next to someone, saying hello to the people greeting him in the hallway, and settling his body to do the task before him. Each step of the way, Alec has had the most amazing team by his side. This morning, the magnitude of just how far he has come hit me and I had to let his teacher know .
I had to say thank you.
Dear Alec's teacher:
I am still doing a happy dance over last night!! Wow! He has grown SOOOOO much these past 2 years. The difference takes my breath away.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for EVERYTHING.
For the way you care for him.
For the way you connect with him.
For the way you get his jokes and tease him with your own.
For the way you approach his quirks in that no-big-deal-so-what way.
For the way you make his accommodations part of the norm, not something that sets him apart.
For the way you push him to reach his potential and never hide behind excuses.
For the way you give him a bear hug when it's clear he needs it, and make him stand on his own when you know he can.
For the way you've helped me see when I need to stand back and let him fly.
I will be forever grateful for these past two years. I'm not really sure how to tell you just what a difference you've made in our life. If you're lucky, you get a great teacher at some point in your school career that makes an impact on the rest of your life. For me, that person came in high school. Alec got his in first and second grade. I hope he lucks out and gets more, but at least you've started him on the right path and we know what is possible.
Chesley
This journey of ours isn't easy, but sometimes it is incredibly beautiful because of the people we meet and help us on our way. I am filled with gratitude. I wish I could show it by stopping the school budget cuts, or seeing that the staff has the salaries they deserve, but I can say thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you.