by Gladys Diaz
Saturday was a big day for my older son. He crossed over from being a Cub Scout to being a Boy Scout. Not only that, but he was recognized for two high achievements, The Arrow of Light, which is the highest achievement a Cub Scout can earn, and Super Achiever, which means he earned all 20 activity pins before his Arrow of Light ceremony. You can imagine the tears of pride and joy that were streaming down my face – not just because of the achievements, but because, as I sat there, I reminisced about all of the challenges he went through to get there.
See, those of you who know a little bit about me know that my son has a mild form of Autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, which impacts primarily his social skills. Being in large groups, dealing with changes in schedules, and even knowing how to start/end a conversation do not come easily for him. As I sat there, I remembered the times he walked up to strangers and asked them if they wanted to buy popcorn, and dealing with hearing “No” over and over again. I remembered him facing his fears and completing difficult challenges. I remembered him sleeping alone in a tent for the first time, and how, while I was only a few feet away, I could barely sleep, thinking of him being in there all by himself.
As my son began to cross the tight rope bridge that symbolized him having faced and overcome yet another hurdle, he slipped and fell…
My heart stopped and broke at the same time. I heard a few snickers. I felt my heart break a little more. I tried to smile and act as if it wasn’t a big deal, but all I wanted to do was run over there, pick him up, and get him off that bridge and into my arms, where he would be safe.
Instead, I stood there and watched him get back up with the help of the leaders around him. I watched him take one careful step after another, working through the fear and embarrassment he was feeling, until he made it all the way to the other side.
When he got off the ropes, he came straight into my arms and he broke down. I whispered how proud of him I was. I asked him why he was crying (I knew why I was crying), and he said he was embarrassed and proud of himself at the same time. And he said he didn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t. I just let him be.
This wasn’t the memory I wanted him to have of his big crossover day. I wished I had a “rewind” button to have him start over again and get across the bridge without falling. But that fall was symbolic of everything he went through. It was part of his journey. And, despite the pain he was in, he was strong and courageous enough to get back up in front of all of those people and walk across to the other side.
I think I was more proud of that of all the other achievements.
So, what about you?
Where have you fallen along the way on your own love journey?
Did you choose to love someone who you thought was perfect for you, only to have your heart broken?
Did you stay in a relationship much longer than you should have, in hopes that he would change and things would get better?
Did you leave a relationship before reaching out for help to see if there was something you could have done to transform the relationship?
Are you still at the other side of your own tight rope bridge, stuck and about to give up on yourself and the possibility of you having the type of loving relationship you dream of?
If this is you, and you’re ready to reach your hand out for help and allow us to help you walk across the bridge to the other side, we’re opening 4 spots in our schedule next week to speak with you. The first 4 people to respond to this post will get one of these spots.
So, go ahead! Take a stand for yourself and respond to this post if you’re ready to get started!
