Some of my favorites? Seeing many friends post their kids' senior pictures. It's awesome to see what wonderful people some of these young men and women are growing into. So close to adulthood, yet still relying on mom and dad for a bit longer.
Did you know that technically David should be a senior this year? He should be a part of the class of 2018.
He's not. And that's quite alright. I've come to terms with that a long, long time ago. He will be listed this year at his school as a junior. We "retained" him a year in jr high. It was what was best for him. He will go to high school until he's 21. And we don't really know what his future will hold after that, and can only pray that there will be some kind of day program for adults that he can participate in.
We aren't looking at colleges. We aren't worried about SAT's or ACT's. We aren't out shooting his senior pictures.
What I am doing to prepare for his 18th birthday: Worrying
I don't sleep at night. So I research how to gain legal guardianship of an adult with disabilities. I research how to gain SSDI for him. I research local specialists in the area for his many symptoms of You-Hoover-Fong Syndrome. Because pediatrics is coming to an end for us. It's so scary and intimidating, and causes me more stress than I'd like to admit. Some might not understand this process. I don't understand this process. I want to understand it. I'm trying to understand it. But it's a lot to take in.
What I do know: I will never stop researching until I DO understand it.
I am tired. So tired. But trying to be informed is the way to do this. Next on my list is researching attorneys that handle this kind of thing. It makes me sick knowing that I have to pay someone to help me be able to make decisions in my mentally handicapped adult child. It's not automatic. I have to go through the proper channels to ensure that I will continue to be the one to make choices for him. I know him best in this entire world. The court has to agree with that decision. I'm sure it won't be a problem. But still. They have to appoint me as his guardian.
And while we might not be taking "senior" pictures of him. I will continue to take regular, everyday pictures of him. And continue to share the heck out of them with my friends, family, and social media audiences. I keep it pretty real. And the world probably needs a little more reality at times.
Congratulations to my friends' amazing children entering their last year as a child. God has blessed you all with so much goodness and it makes my heart smile to watch them grow and develop.
I'm so glad to be a small part of David's life.
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