I have not shared a blog with you in a very long time.
In the last week or so, Colin's early morning calls are remarkably happy joyous and free. It never ceases to amaze me! I say hello around 6:30 am to hear him shout out with a gleeful good morning Mom!!! I can tell from his voice that he is beaming from head to toe. Happy and energetic.!!! There is no special reason or cause for his happy greeting - it just is. Like him. Colin simply is. Life for him is pretty simple and uncomplicated.
He knows that he is taken care of. If there is a financial need, Mom will write a cheque. If there is a need to pay for his artwork Mom will write a cheque and maybe even deliver it for him. His rent is paid, he gets groceries once a week with the help of his supportive roommates. The biggest challenge in his view is getting his suits drycleaned - LOL. This is very important to him. He wears suits all the time and so it's imperative that they get cleaned on a regular basis. The important thing for me is to let him make MANY of his own decisions. I need to mind my own business and he will remind me when I am NOT minding my own business. Well, because sometimes, I am just a Mom after all.
It's easy to think that life is easy for him. I believe that he DECIDED a long time ago that life is good and I believe that he decides every day that he just lives life on life's terms. Easier said than done. I need to apply this idea to my life - DECIDING is a big word and words have a huge impact.
He does function at about a 12 - 13-year level. So he is living in an (almost) 47-year-old body with the reasoning of a very young adolescent. That sometimes means meltdowns right in the middle of the Winner's store, or in the middle of the street when we are out doing errands. When that happens: he is at about a five-year level. And I am at about the 13-year level.
My life with him is far from perfect - I want to make that perfectly clear, but when he calls with his absolutely happy voice, all the negative stuff melts away. I am immediately recharged and ready to take on another day, maybe even another week. He is truly amazing. GRATITUDE is another important word. I practice gratitude every day. Even the challenging ones.
He is learning something new every day. He is certainly fully engaged with technology to his fullest capacity. He has almost mastered texting and forwarding photos on his cell phone. He blows me away at how he learns this. He does not let me teach him ANY of this. I believe he learns this from some of his friends. (YIPES - it makes me wonder - what else does he learn from his friends???)
He teaches me every day, every single day - DIGNITY is the most important word. Respect and dignity. We all deserve respect and so does he. I don't think he expects this - He simply knows it.
I think he KNOWS more than I ever will - he still teaches me every day - I try to extend respect and dignity and most of all love - that one is easy. How could I not love him???
