INSPIRATION WAS IN THE AIR

I came home last night  -  9:30 pm and I was ready for a little quiet time before I retired for the night.  But as soon as I walked in the door I knew that quiet was not going to happen.

Colin our mentally challenged son is in the kitchen and he is "slaving" away at some creation on the stove.  Something was in the air  -  and I knew better than to comment on the mess in the kitchen or the time of day.

I asked him what he was doing and he quickly informed me that he was making tomorrow's lunch for him and Brenda, his special friend.  His face was beaming!!!

It was then that I noticed the look of passion on his face.  He was in the ZONE.  He was the master of his destiny and he loved what he was doing.  I did not want to interrupt this process.  Instead I left him and took care of a few chores around the house and then came back to the kitchen.  He was finished with his creation except for the fetuccine.  I offered to put the water on for that and also offered to clean up for him while he takes our dog Max for a walk.  He gladly agreed to do that and so off he went.  By the time he came back the kitchen was manageable again and the fettucini was almost done.  Colin and I both worked on the final steps and filled the containers for lunch the next day.

He was thrilled with his creation and invited me to taste it several times.  It was VERY good.  

We had Colin staying with us for about 6 weeks and during that time; we saw many examples of his passion at work.  He made many beautiful meals for Dennis and I.

He certainly has champaigne taste on a beer budget, but he somehow makes it work for him.  

A clear example of "do what you love".  

LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD

While living in Regina, transportation was provided for Colin to get to school.  A taxi came to the door every morning and delivered him to the front door of the school, and retuned home at the end of the day every school day. Quite often, he would get home and drop his lunch bucket and knapsack at the front door, grab the leash and take our dog "Willie" for long walks.  He would go for a long time.  (well, for me, it seemed like a long time.)

We moved away from Regina when Colin was about 15.  One of the first things that the new school in Calgary asked was if Colin was "travel trained".  "What is that?" we asked.  Well, they explained that it was a requirement for Colin to use the public transit here in Calgary to get to and from school.  I swallowed hard when I heard that.  I was working full time by then and I had no idea how this could possibly happen.

Another lesson in "Letting Go".  ooouuuuuch!!!

The school explained that they took this project on but that after a couple of weeks he would be on his own.  Luckily our son Sheldon was also going to the same school so both Colin and Sheldon travelled together.   It was a great thing.  Gave me a little sense of security.  Sheldon was by then in the role of being the "big brother".  (Poor Sheldon  -  I am sorry Sheldon  -  so proud of you)

The school provided a teacher aide who would come to our home to pick Colin up and also travel with him all the way home.  The travel training went very well.  Finally, the day came when Sheldon and Colin were traveling on their own together.  One day, Sheldon decided to stay for awhile after school for an event.  He explained to Colin that he should wait for him and that he would not be long.

I arrived home from work that evening to find that both Sheldon and Colin were not home.  They should have been home for at least 30 - 45 minutes before I arrived home.  I started preparing supper and soon Sheldon arrived without Colin.  What???  Where is Colin???  Oh no...  poor Sheldon bursts into tears.  He could not find Colin after his activity, so he thought Colin would be at home.

Sorry, no Colin.

Trying to calm Sheldon, I phoned the school, Calgary Transit and finally the City Police.  Talk about panic and anxiety.  We waited anxiously, what could we do???   Finally after about a very long hour, Colin arrived  -  everyone was crying by that time and very happy to see him.  He dropped his bag and walked past everyone while we asked what happened.  He simply responded "I am too tired to talk about it"  and went straight to bed and slept through the night.  Its one of our funny family stories.

After much discussion over the following weeks, we discovered that Colin decided to take the bus on his own.  He discovered that he got on the wrong bus and decided to simply stay on the bus until the bus made the full circle back to his point of origin  -  where he got off.  He then decided to walk home.  It was about a 25 KM walk.  He has never gotten lost since.  He has mastered the art of traveling on Public Transit.  He travels all over the City of Calgary.  He could travel train anyone  -  I am positive of it.  I believe that he has a photographic memory.  He knows the city very well.

This little skill has given him great freedom.  I try not to think of the situations he might find himself in at certain times such as when he travels home from a late night event.  I simply have to place him in the palm of God's hand, He is the best babysitter, after all.  Colin's freedom and independence are absolutely critical, so I stay out of the way.

Thank you Colin for another lesson.  Letting Go and Letting God is not easy but it is simple and so rewarding!!!