He Did It

For those who do not know me, or just know me from my entrance to the blogging world, I have a 19 year old son who is autistic. We are blessed in the fact that he is high functioning. Most adults have no clue he is autistic, but put him with his peers and he does not mesh well. He has not quite mastered the social graces we all take for granted and learn as we grow. There are things he does not get or gets them much much later than the average child. My husband and I worry just how far his ability to learn will go. For those who have special children...you know where I am coming from. Well today my son hit another landmark in the walk through life.







My son cut the grass all by himself this morning. Now he has been actually cutting the grass, but my husband was always close by in case he needed any assistance. His biggest fear was that he would not be able to physically start the mower itself. Well low and behold he managed to start the mower and cut thee entire front yard all by himself. I called my husband at work and told him the news and after hanging up with him I broke down sobbing. He had done it, and with no help from either his father or myself. He had made another step toward being independent. I was elated. We have worried for years if he would ever be able to to do things to survive in the real world. Today was a glimpse that he may actually be able to do things for himself, but just in his own time frame...not mine, and not anyone elses. His own time. This was the boy that learned to tie his shoe at 16 and got the concept of a joke at the age of 8. So you can see how we thought there might be things he would never understand or get. But he is proving us wrong...and I am glad.