Story Time.

During our nighttime routine, our son said “story” and pointed to me.

This is his way of asking me to tell him a story. But not just any story.

This is when I ask him to choose three things.

Who do you want in the story?

Where are they going?

And what dinosaurs will be there?

Then I make up a very elaborate and eventful story based off of his response.

As he was deep in thought, I sat there with a smile on my face waiting for him to tell me his answers.

This typically consists of hand gestures or sign language and a few vocal words.

He chose Jurassic World and all his favorite dinosaurs from the movie.

I asked him who was going and he said “school.”

I said “oh, you want this to be a field trip with your friends from school?”

He shook his head yes.

I started saying his teachers names and his paraprofessional and he nodded his head yes to all of them.

Then I started naming off some children from his class and after the first name I said, he shook his head no.

He paused for a moment and then looked at me and said “my boys!”

I said a name of one boy and his eyes lit up and he started clapping.

He quickly put his finger to his chin, with that ‘I’m thinking look’ on his face, and then he said the other boy’s name all by himself!

I repeated back the two little boys names and he smiled ear to ear, excitedly flapping his hands and shouted “MY BOYS!”

Tears started to fill my eyes because my mama heart was bursting with so much joy.

This might not seem like a big deal to some.

But when you have a child with a disability, who also has a difficult time communicating, you often wonder what their relationships are like.

Are they genuine?

Does he feel loved and accepted?

Does he have real friends?

This was an incredibly special moment that justified all of that.

He HAS meaningful relationships.

He is LOVED by so many people.

He is ACCEPTED for who he truly is.

He HAS true friends.

And he proudly calls them “his boys.”