I got to see my little man do something extraordinary tonight. He walked down four steps at his grandparents' house. He didn't hold onto the rail, he didn't slide down on his bottom, he walked - just like any other kid. Apparently he has been working on this for a while. In one minute he took away a lot of worries I've been carrying around about his future. I've been concerned that when he finally realizes the implications of his diagnosis, he'll give up. I've been worried that he'll decide that if a wheelchair is in his future, what's the point in trying. With this little baby step of an act he has managed to show me that he's nowhere near giving up. He's still very much capable of growth and still able to surprise me at every turn.
Ok, let's be honest, that last bit isn't exactly a shock. Joshua has been surprising me since the day he was born. From the time he learned to walk he's been fearless and I've been poised to jump at the slightest indication that he might hurt himself. He has shown us more than once that what we fear most - in the toddler Joshua world it was that the child would electrocute himself- is often not as bad as we imagine. He declared that the wall BIT HIM the first time - by the third I'm not even sure it hurt.
Tonight I'm reassured that he'll get through this. He had a good day at school - not all that common this year unfortunately. He demonstrated a new skill with his head held high and a grin on his face. The random questions fired at me in machine gun style as we rode home were ones I could actually answer! All of these little moments gather together to make this a good night. I'll take it.
