Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
I think if it were up to Jacob, it would be fall all year long. Everything we have exposed him to or worked on for the past month and a half, he has excelled at. After a successful trip to the pumpkin patch the child thinks that we need to stop at every road-side farmer’s market. He loves picking the perfect pumpkins, he’s just not too keen on actually carving them. And thanks to numerous viewings of The Wizard of Oz and the staff at the center, Jacob is a pro at wearing his Tin Man costume and trick-or-treating. Also, he loved going to his first football game.
Like Jacob, Maggie has also enjoyed the season, taking a particular interest in the petting zoos featured at some of the pumpkin patches that we have visited. While she did not take particular interest in two recent “Safe Trick-or-Treat” events that we attended (way too many people for her comfort level and mine), she is learning to tolerate wearing her Dorothy costume. Yes, that’s right. Jacob and Maggie are wearing themed costumes for the third year in a row.
Public Dining: A couple of times a month we try to take Jacob and Maggie out for breakfast to get them familiar with the expectations of eating in a public setting. We have been working on public dining for about a year now, and we often go to the same restaurant simply because it serves food that they will both eat. The other day when we arrive, the restaurant was much more crowded than usual and our usual booth was occupied. After a very brief verbal protest from Jacob we proceeded with a successful and uneventful breakfast. I think that our saving grace was the freezer of ice cream cakes in Jacob’s direct line of sight. Maggie was content as long as she had her orange juice.
Today I am thankful for my own forgetfulness. In a previous post I had mentioned how hurt and disgusted I was when a group of children made hurtful comments about Jacob. I was so upset at the time that I questioned even returning to store. I recently found myself back at the same business with Jacob, the painful incident a very distant memory. In fact, I had all but forgotten what had happened until a family beside us began talking rather loudly, though their conversation was obviously a personal one. She was describing her own experience with her son, just a few years older than Jacob, who has asperger’s. Her words were so kind and positive that I couldn’t help, but glance up at her. When I did, she gave me the warmest smile I’ve ever received from a perfect stranger. I’m so very thankful that in my absent-mindedness I had forgotten that I had been hurt, and return to that store to.
Count It All Joy 