Milestones

~Clearly Muddled Blog~

There are a lot of milestones that cause parents to pause in recognition that their baby is growing up. This week my daughter called and told me that her almost two-year-old said she wanted to sleep in the big bed instead her crib. Gulp. Just like that, the precious months of babyhood are over.

In our house we have always celebrated efforts and achievements. Not like – everyone gets a trophy – more like “let’s all go to Dairy Queen”! Because when the kids stepped up to do something out of the ordinary, I could think of no better way to acknowledge them than for everyone to pig out together on delicious frozen fattening ice cream. We went there after school plays, and chorus concerts, and multitudes of other events. They didn’t have to be the best…they were encouraged to do their best.

Kids grow into new abilities at their own pace. Some things can’t be forced. Through the years, I’ve been told over and over that because Josh has Autism his emotional and mental age did not match his physiological age. Duh! He’s an apple, I’m the tree!! An immature tree, without autism, that flies by the seat of the pants, and thinks everything is funny. Okay, we’re nothing alike, but the point is, that everyone steps forward when they’re ready for it, and you can’t make it move any quicker that it does.

This week Josh has been hired and started working for a company that employs people that are autistic. He has a job! That’s something I was told he would never do, based on his “disability”.  I don’t know if this will last, and if he’ll thrive, if he’ll find it’s too much for him to handle, or if this is the beginning glimpses of independence. My fingers and eyes are crossed.  He seems ready – I’ve been ready, baby!

Josh just turned 30, and he has a job. Gulp. Some milestones are worth waiting for.

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Listen to the Podcast: JHA045: Hard Days’ Night| http://sonyaking.com/jha045-hard-days-night