Hello.......and goodbye.......

My son and I have been very fortunate in that he qualifies for in-home support. In the last 2 years we have had five different staff help support us through section 65 (behavioral support) and we've had two staff through section 28 (behavioral AND life skills) and we now have Specialized 28 (this is an amazing service...they do it all: socialization, life skills, behavioral and almost anything else I can dream up.). In the 2 months we've had this service we have already had four staff.

First I want to say how wonderful these services are....my son folds his own laundry now (I do turn it all right side out and tuck in the pockets), he loads and unloads the dishwasher, makes his bed and cleans his room, he vacuums, changes the sheets on his bed every week. Then they also support him in drama club two days a week, take him out in the community and learning all the skills of turn taking, using coping techniques and using words instead of fists.

Over the last couple years Will has grown so very much with all the help and support he has gotten from all these wonderful staff. (Of course staying at Spring Harbor last winter was a life altering chapter in his life) one thing that I marvel at is Will's ability to accepting the fluidity of staff changes in his life. He copes better than I do. I see these amazing people come into our life and make it better only to see them leave in a few short months. It makes me sad, I want to have them move into my house and never leave. Will however, says "Hi, come on in" welcoming them in with open arms and accepting their role in his life. When the time comes for them to walk out he smiles and says "Bye."

I think of the two of us he is the smarter....with a couple of exceptions every staff has been amazing, and they ALL have had valuable skills and insights to offer. If some didn't leave, we wouldn't have fresh new people/skills coming in. This weekend we said goodbye to a great staff, Will chose to go bowling as a goodbye outing. While there he had a wonderful time, he got his first strike and the look on his face said it all. What a joy that evening was. While there a new staff stopped in to meet Will. I think I'm excited to work with him, unlike other staff we've had he is a little older and has a child on the autism spectrum himself.

People come and people go in our lives, it is up to us how we choose to look at the changes. We can choose to hold on to the old, or we can choose to graciously let go with a "bye" and a smile to open ourselves up to new experiences and people who can enrich our lives in new ways. What will you choose to do? I choose the later......