Back to school note to my son

My amazing son, you may not know the lengths I have traveled to get you here.  The sleepless nights and worried filled days.  The adult decisions I have had to make that I never thought I would think about.  I have paved the way as best as I can for you.  I have made every attempt to set you up for a successful year and now all I can do wait and help you along the way.

I pushed nearly every possible "must do" aside and let our summer just be time together and large fun.  I have traveled around town providing us with stimulating entertainment and the love and support of friends who accept you as you are.  There were meltdowns and tears and no one was bothered, just accepted us in the place we are in and you needed that.  We have been busy, there is but one thing on both of our "summer bucket lists" that is undone, and alas, I just do not have the energy or the funds to make that happen.  Summer we will always look forward to because we manage to live our lives to the fullest.

But now, love, we have had to prepare for school.  We must relinquish our days of sunny freedoms to the long days ahead full of learning and social norms.  I have taken you to the doctor and therapist for med checks and on going therapy.  I have given you a med break for weeks this summer and then continued with limited medication so that I could help you to gain weight.  Weight you desperately needed to gain.  I have fed your body and soul with healthy food and loving energy.  The last few nights, I have worked really diligently to get you back onto a sleep schedule so your little boy body is rested and ready. In this I am failing, you fight rest like a solider fights the enemy, to the death. But we have tried and that matters.  I have schlepped you along to the shoe store for new shoes and fought you on the price of a backpack.  I have washed and labeled all your sensory tools and fidgets so that you have them when and where you need them.

I have emailed introductions to the teacher, nurse and "team" so there are no surprises and you are greeted with readiness to help you succeed at this new school.  And we have visited more times than most so that you are comfortable finding the bathroom and classroom.  I have surrounded you with encouragement and introduced you to the people you will be spending your days with.

So now I just pray.  Pray that these people at this new school love you for you.  That they accept your challenges and help you find ways to adapt and grow.  Most importantly, I hope they help you learn and that you can like to learn.  It will not be easy but maybe there will be one thing you like to learn and we can build on that!  I pray they are tolerant and fair and when necessary, brave.  It takes bravery and courage to learn, question and communicate when you are an adult and we need them to have strength to do that for you and every child who may be different.  I pray they have the same compassion and humor your last teachers have had because we need that!

My prayer mostly is that they will find a way to reach you and teach you.  It is the hope all parents have.

Summer is over, it was enormously fun, but now the work starts....  your way is paved as best as I could get it.  And no matter what happens, I am here... I am here with love, support, enthusiastic encouragement, strength to get us through the rough patches, courage to stand up when you need me to, but most of all love.

**and now to put the list of things I have put off back on my plate... :)**