As I was putting my six-year-old grandson, Timothy, to bed Saturday night, he said, “Grandma, tell me a story.”
So I crawled into bed with him, looking up at the amazing painting that his parents had specially made for him which is just above his bed (pictured below).
It is a visual representation of the stories they had been telling him over the past few years. The picture is a work of genius and transports one to the wonderful world of make-believe where children can develop their powers of creativity and imagination.
Suffice it to say that this delightful six-year old isn’t the easiest child on the planet to raise, as he is somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. His parents, our son Damon and his wife Kathy, are doing an exceptional job searching out the answers to the complexity of this precious child.
This search includes a special diet for his food allergies, trips to the speech therapist, appointments for sensory integration, and much more. He is a bright, curious, and precocious child. But, as I said, not the easiest child to raise, but certainly a very interesting one, so as parents, Damon and Kathy are never bored!
Timothy’s has been encouraged to use his bright, curious mind in a number of ways, including creating a wonderful bedroom that is rich with artifacts about space. Timothy chooses to play classical music such as “The Planets” by Gustav Holst (given to him by Grandpa Capehart, symphonic musician) but the point is, he chooses to listen to it. Their home is full of books, and he is read to daily as well as reads on his own as he is catapulted into different worlds of adventure and knowledge.
But he loves stories most of all. As his parents cleverly created worlds of adventure for him, Timothy became the “Head of the Rescue Team,” which saves the day with the help of his special friends, including some from his ‘real’ world such as his dogs, Bachi, Wyatt, Petie, and Spud, who come alongside Timothy on his rescue missions.
For his sixth birthday Damon and Kathy presented Timothy with this original painting of himself as the “Head of the Rescue Team” along with his special helpers.
After he opened it, Timothy sat totally quiet staring at this original work of art for some time. Happy parents and tearful grandparents all waited in the silence, enjoying him being enraptured with this gift that transported him into his imaginative world.
After some time of studying each detail of the painting, he quietly said, “That’s me, I’m Timothy, Head of the Rescue Team,” and he named each of his special helpers.
We applaud our son, Damon, and his wife, Kathy, for thinking of this special gift for their son. But more importantly, for the countless hours that went into the stories behind this gift. Anyone can turn on a TV or DVD for their child, but how many parents spend hours making up stories for their child? As a culture, we have a lost the art of telling stories to our children.
That is why I wanted to pay a tribute to them. I know that some days they are exhausted by having a child who at times can be exhausting. I applaud their creativity, dedication, tenacity, and perseverance. Having a child with Autism, Asperger’s, and/or ADHD is not easy, and at times it can make even the best of parents doubt themselves.
They choose to work with the bent of their child, even when it isn’t easy. On top of it, they chose to adopt another, not having any idea who or what genetic mix they would get. God blessed them with an easy child, Hope, a true treasure who I believe is a gift from God to honor their walk in faith.
Today, I want to honor them and other parents who are raising difficult children, caring for foster children, and/or adopting children. You are the real Super Heroes! So take a bow.
If you were here, I would give each of you a hug. But for now, I will hug our son, Damon, and daughter-in-law, Kathy. Thank you for all you do for our precious grandchildren, Timothy James and Hope Isabela. You are heroes every day in my book!
