It may still be Winter by the calendar, but we are experiencing a fresh breath of air in our home, not unlike the joy felt after the Winter is over and Spring begins to show it’s green, flowery, warm face. Our son, 10 months after a suicide attempt, seems to be really putting things together, making better choices, and noticing how his behaviors affect others.
He was up in the shower this morning before we went to wake him. He was in a good mood on the way to school, chatting with me. He made his own breakfast. He cleaned out his school bag and gave me his Fall pictures that he found in there (only 3 months late!). This weekend, he was very grouchy on the way to his orthodontist appointment and later apologized to the whole car, saying that he was sorry he had been grouchy on the way. So many noticeable changes!
We have 65 days until he can get his driver’s license, and I have been concerned about how that will go. But today is a glimpse of a growing up boy. Someone who might be able to be independent someday, who makes good choices, who could have a job and buy a house someday. I remember so clearly when I wondered if he could even go to regular public school, if everything would have to change, wondering even if he would finish high school.
Now there is the beginning of change, a shift.
I know that with mental illness there are ups and downs and that we he might slip back and forth into and out of good days and bad ones. I know that all of this could also go the wayside.
But for today, this 24 hours, I’m enjoying a peaceful, fun-loving boy. While we cannot know what tomorrow will bring, we can bask in the JOY when all is well.
