Graduation Day

May 20, 2010

Today was graduation day for Reece …he donned his first cap and gown and got his preschool diploma, walked across the stage with his fellow classmates and looked so much like your normal kid. Which, to his mother and I seems remarkable considering the past couple of years we have been through.

Reece was a late talker, and because of this people often tried to label him at a very young age. We had considered at one time or another the gamut of possibilities, from autism to any number of developmental problems. Even his preschool, which we loved so much, at one time had their doubts and tried to tag him as having some more serious problem.

He was kind of antisocial and didn’t interact with other children, we were told at one point. Today, he is one of the most gregarious children you’ll ever meet, constantly speaking up, making friends and even singing the lead to “One Small Voice” at the graduation ceremony.

He has sensory issues, which must be why he isn’t talking like he should, we were told by one “professional” who wanted to have him wear a weighted vest as some type of treatment. We declined.

Seeing him today as sort of a shining star of the ceremony (of course I’m a little biased, but he did have a big role) made me realize that not only did his preschool teach him lots of things, but he taught them something as well — perhaps a child can be different and still be fine.

He is hands down one of the brightest children I’ve ever seen. He seems to have a knack for problem solving, and a vocabulary that’s well beyond his age. Just as he taught his teachers a few things, he teaches me on a daily basis.

I’m sure today’s graduation was the first of many to come. A milestone. A time to reflect on where he’s been and where he’s going. I have a feeling that during his life, he’ll teach the world lots of things, and I can’t wait to see what those things are.