Big, Brave Boy

Why would this picture of my sweet J7 drinking water from the garden hose remind me of bravery? It would be because it took great courage for him to put his face near the water to sip of its coolness.

J7 has Asperger's syndrome. Children with this condition often lag behind in motor skills (both gross and fine), and frequently have sensory issues such as feeling overwhelmed by conditions that the rest of the world would sense as normal. Often, J7 wants to do something, but it is harder for him than it is for most other kids his age. And yet, time and time again he is willing to leap out of his comfort zone and do the very thing that brings him fear or discomfort.




This past year, J7 has done many surprising things. He learned to ride his two-wheeler. He overcame fear of bouncing balls to play on a basketball team. He took swimming lessons despite a major aversion to water. And, perhaps his biggest accomplishment of all, he rode down the zip line at the house of a family friend.

I cannot think of a braver soul than my oldest son.