Love The Surprises I Didn't See Coming.....

     If there one thing I have learned among hundreds of things with my sons autism, it's that he always surprises me by reacting to things in a way I didn't see coming.
 
   I was worried about the 4th of July, the faces, the chaos that comes with holidays, and most of all wondered if he would be afraid of the fireworks. This year we spent the holiday with some of my family at a condo. With plans to head out on a boat to watch a huge fireworks display over the lake. Why was I worried? well, a life jacket was a new thing for him, a boat was fairly new, and he has always slept through fireworks. So I had tons of questions going through my mind. Would be put on a life jacket and be OK with it? Would he be OK with being on a boat? Would be be able to process the fireworks without being afraid of the sound?
  
    All these questions running through my mind and really no way to know, until we do it. If it all goes wrong, well we push on and get our answers, but there is always that part of me praying he will surprise us.  This year....was full of surprises! He took to his cousins like he lived with them on a daily basis. He grew excited when we put the life jacket on him. He loved being on the boat, now he didn't leave my lap and barely moved, but when he was on my lap he was totally relaxed. To the point he fell asleep sitting up and just feeling that ease in him was the best feeling in the world.
  
     When it came time to get back on the boat and head across the lake to watch the big fireworks, I was still wondering how he would react. He loved watching them and was totally calm, even with the sounds and boom that rattled the boat. Sat back totally relaxed and let one little tiny.."yeah!"  No, he didn't eat much and no, he didn't stay still much but with our son, just to feel him at ease and relaxed really was just the best feeling.  Many kids get extremely excited when they like something and you have to remind them to calm down, but when Phillip finds something he loves he calms right down and takes it all in, every second of it.
   
    On that note, I am grateful for the times I am totally surprised. The times all my worries and constant wondering is answered in a way I didn't see coming. It's interesting how something that requires life on repeat can also find so much peace in something out of the ordinary.