PARENTS CONRNER (cont.)

of joy appeared in the Graduate Section. It was a day of absolute cheer. He was reading and writing and playing sports as best as he could and was proud of every accomplishment. Almost like every “normal” student. The road is longer and the winding is harder. But, the finish line is even more rewarding. Now, I had to plan his life as an adult. My job as mother, unlike the mother of another student in a normal school, wasn’t over yet.

I started to realize that I needed to scope the area, and find a day program for special adults. One that would allow my young man to continue learning and expanding and not sit in front of a television set watching Three Stooges movies until retirement age. I wanted a program that would teach David “adult stuff ” like shopping at Wal-Mart, counting the change, typing on a computer, washing the dishes (a very, very important task). I took a couple of days off from work and drove around the area and visited several different places and was surprised at how little and how much there was to offer in different sites. I did find the program he attends now and I am happy to say that when David comes home for the weekends, I see that he is becoming a young man. When he’s here, he helps with chores around the house, practices his personal hygiene and even butters his own bread!

Of course, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to David’s college graduation, his wedding, my first grandchild or any event that other parents might be anticipating. But, and this is a big, big but, David is becoming a gentleman. He holds the door open for those women who are accompanying him to a restaurant. Or, tells a funny joke, or, shows concern for others when they are not feeling well or crying at a sad movie. I can say with an open heart that I am so very proud of my son but just as important to me, I am proud of how I raised him also. I felt guilty that I “gave” him Fragile X Syndrome but I know now that I am not responsible for this situation. However, I am responsible for the successful young man my son has become. I showed David the most important thing a parent of any child could teach, love. People used to ask me all the time when he was very young, “Why do you let your son call you by your name?” I realized that David heard everyone else call me “Sharon” and that’s how he knew me. David knew I was Sharon but that I was his mother foremost. I just wanted David to know how to say, “Please”, “Thank you”, and “Excuse me”. Everything else was gravy as far as I was concerned.

Everyone who meets and gets to know David grows to love him. And every drop of love shown to him has me love him more and more every day. That love will help him grow more and more as he matures and will help allow me to shine in my middle age as well as any other parent of any other adult child. David has a wonderful heart and is heading for a wonderful adulthood. I can hardly wait for tomorrow.