Playing.

Play time seems like no brainer activity, filled with endless amounts of playing cars, pushing a ball around, drawing a picture, or even reading a book. But for Ben, it's not that simple. I wish I could tell you why he can't just make it happen. I wish I knew. His therapists spend hours each week with him.  Working on everything from self-help skills to actual structured play time. It's kind of weird to think, you have to teach him how to play? The answer is--yes.  He has no idea how to play.  It just wasn't something he picked up, like most kids.  So every week in therapy session, they've been teaching Ben how to play, or really--just how to take turns in a game.  These last few times, they've been bringing us in to play and just recently..Elizabeth.  It's pretty awesome to see them together. Sitting, taking turns, doing something typical of kids their ages.

March 2014

Maybe for a lot of people, seeing their kids play games is a miracle too...I know all siblings fight, they do too.  But seeing Ben do an activity with his sister brings me a lot of hope for the future.  I struggle day to day, seeing what little progress we make with Ben, and a lot of times it's painful to move at such a pace.  I struggle to watch as other children his age are doing things I can only imagine in my head for now. I don't feel any ill will towards others and their lives because I know I don't know the extent of their's lives and their own individual struggles.  But none the less, I struggle.  I struggle to move faster than the Lord intends.  And it's really, really hard. This post is coming at a time when I'm just having a bad case of the Monday's, even though it's Tuesday.  Whatever.  That's when you make a run to Target and spend the next two hours wandering around and buy yourself some Salted Caramel ice cream and then relax.  Because you won't always struggle. This life is too short to compare and wish away what already is. Life is what you make it. 

So even though I don't get to see a lot of play from my little boy, when I do, I know the Lord remembers us.