This isn't something we really do, in the true sense of the idiom. We sometimes march to a little different beat than many others. It was much more noticeable when we lived near Houston. Austin lives up to the slogan "Keep Austin Weird" and because of that, our differences aren't really that noticeable in comparison.
Anyway, I thought about this the other day. When Jackson was 3, I very vividly remember having a lengthy conversation with him in the middle of Target because he had told me that 'girls couldn't be awesome like boys', of which he learned from his little 3 year old pal, DJ. When I think back to that conversation, I have to smile.
But, I get a little sad too. Matthew is now the same age as Jackson was when we had that conversation. With Matthew, there are no lengthy conversations. There are a dozen words and lots of sounds that we can't decipher. I have no idea if Matthew doesn't think that girls can be awesome like boys, because, very simply, he can't tell me. That makes my heart hurt.
When I think of Matthew and all that he has endured and accomplished, I am overjoyed. He has mastered eating with a spoon. He rides a tricycle. He says "mama". He is amazing! But when I compare (or try to match the lifestyle of one's neighbors, or siblings as it were) I am beyond sad, acutely aware of how different and delayed he really is.
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| Matthew with Aunt Susie. |
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