1st Grader

So first day goes something like this. Waze sends me on a wazy journey and I curse trusting it today. Get rear ended, I pull over, they hit and run. Reuben very upset. It's the first time I've been in any kind of car situation so I'm pretty shaken. Get to hospital for hearing aid appointment and it's literally just snapped in place and I can't get over why we couldn't just snap it in place 2 weeks ago, why we had to make a separate appointment to watch the audiologist snap the same hearing aid on. Since there was no time to drop Callum off at school first, we drive there and then onto Reuben's for his first half day. Reuben did well at school and I observed as his aide. I realise that isn't sustainable but actually he actively listened and participated in class, enjoyed art and PE, fastened his bum precisely on the Reuben sticker on the floor, made some of his peers laugh at circle time when the teacher was instructing on listening ears and what to do with eyes and body, replying "What about my feet?". I'm glad he turned around being bumped to being fun.

Let me take a brief moment to just remember how much Reuben has endured to get to this stage. It wouldn't have been expected that he could not only start school in an age-appropriate grade, but keep up with what was asked of him and follow at an age appropriate level. No, I didn't ever wish to adjust the expectations based on what he's been through, on his diagnosis and disabilities, those expectations always remained high fuelled by his own desire to learn, but a total of a year spent in the ICU would take its toll on anyone. I just marvel at what a sweet and lovely boy he is, how utterly giving and patient, how great an observer as a means to learn, how desiring he is to make others happy. I can only echo what I've always felt, that something quite extraordinary goes on in Reuben's mind and I don't envisage that time and the onset of privacy will ever yield its answers.