A Winning Moment

Aaron has had a mostly good week, which means that there were ups and downs as always.  His recent staph infection returned, so I took him to the doctor on Monday.  Now he’s on another round of antibiotics, which isn’t what we like but it’s what he must do.  Tuesday was a very happy day, but Wednesday was not a good day at his day group.  Barb called me, put the phone on speaker, and I could definitely hear the frustration in Aaron’s voice.  We all wish we knew what leads him, in his mind, to the point of no return where he simply reacts without thought of the consequences. 

He was exhausted that night, so on Thursday morning I just let him sleep.  He slept for almost twelve hours, waking up too late for me to get him to Paradigm and also make it to an appointment that morning that I had.  So later that day we enjoyed some down time together.  I took him to Great Clips for a haircut, which you know he loves, and to Dillons for another favorite….a Cheddar Pasta Salad for lunch.  We took Jackson for a walk in the beautiful warm weather, too. 

Of course Aaron found the new chairs at Dillons and had to try one out!

Aaron was in a reflective mood on Thursday, which he often is after a rough day.  He was in a giving mood as well, wanting to buy some items at the store for his friends.  I try to steer him to smaller things, like pieces of gum, instead of large items. 

“Mom?” he asked.  “Natalie bought me a gift when my birthday came out.  Can I buy her a gift when her birthday comes out?”

Can you tell how often he talks about the date that a movie is coming out?  J

As we talked later that day, Aaron told me that he wanted to write a note to three of his friends who were very good to him when he was so angry the day before.  He’s never wanted to write a note for such an occasion that I can remember.  I think he had this idea because he had just written two thank you notes for some Christmas gifts. 

I gave him some note cards that I had and he proceeded to write his notes of thanks.  They were short and sweet, which is all that Aaron sees as being necessary.  It’s the sweet part that I love, and the fact that he thought of this all on his own was extra special. 

Don’t you love how he signs his name?  Years ago when we told him to sign his name on a note, he did just that. 

Signed, Aaron.

Except look at the way he spells “signed.”  He combines the word “sigh” and “sign.”  I think that’s pretty awesome.

He took the cards with him the next morning, slipping them under his jacket as he got out of the van at Paradigm.  I could tell he might be embarrassed about them.  Sure enough, when I asked him after he got home if he gave the girls his notes, he looked sheepish.  Apparently, he chickened out and left the notes on Barb’s desk.  I don’t know if he’ll get the nerve to give the notes to them or not.  I’ll gently encourage him to do that over the weekend, but I don’t know if he will.

Some victories with Aaron are partial, or come in pieces that are spread apart.  But a victory is a victory.  To see Aaron showing thankfulness and then expressing it in writing, on his own, is a huge victory.  The winning moment may not come in the actual giving of the cards, at least not this time. 

It’s his written heart that warmed mine.

And I’ll take it.