Adulthood is Ryan's Time

Good morning everyone,

Ryan's Very Special Arts choir concert went well last Sunday. Here he is in his role as sign person. My camera took some pretty blurry shots. I have autofocus and I think something is wrong with it. Nuts!

The concert was lovely. The participants all looked happy and thrilled to be there. The audience was attentive and appreciative.

Directly afterwards Ryan had a Thanksgiving Feast with Best Buddies. The college buddies provided everything and did an amazing job. All in all a very busy day with church in the morning as well.

Adulthood has really been Ryan's time to shine. When our kids are children it's all about compliance. When they're adults the beauty of their uniqueness shines. They are able to choose what they want to do and their natural abilities emerge, in spite of their disabilities.

If you have a child with special needs and you are frustrated, don't despair. While I don't want you to wish away your special someone's childhood, just know that better days may be coming.

God bless you and yours,
Much love and joy,
Karen

Bridges Between People

Good morning everyone,

How are you? We got 2+ inches of rain again last night. I'm weary of it. Everytime we get over a couple of inches of rain, which lately has been ALL the time, I get a little moisture in the basement. No more than a couple of gallon jugs of milk's worth but annoying nonetheless. What irks me is that I have to deal with it the minute I get up or it stinks. The minute I get up is not the best time for me to do manual labor. My joints need to loosen up, you know? Arthritis is so stupid. At any rate. Two rolls of paper towels later I'm done, showered and talking to you.

Building bridges between people is so important. Ryan has found that by pursuing his hobbies, he is meeting people of all ages and developing relationships that will last. He doesn't, however, have a close friend, which is something he'd love. Sam, his Best Buddy, is wonderful. He picked up Ryan last week and they ran all over campus taking photos of the bridge, the water, Owen Park and other things that were interesting for Ryan. A couple of hours later they strolled in drinking pop and laughing together. That bridge is a strong one.

If you've hesitated to put your young adult in Best Buddies I really think you should reconsider. We had a couple of no shows but then we got Sam 4+ years ago. (He graduates in December .... oh no!) Ryan and he chat on the phone, and do things together outside of the required elements of the program. If the program is followed like the Kennedy set it, it has unlimited potential for nurturing and change of attitude.

At any rate, they'll be starting soon so you'll want to contact your local chapter by accessing the main website. Just Google Best Buddies.

Have a marvy day and see you tomorrow,

Much love and joy,

Karen

Best Buddy Golf Outing

Ryan has a charity golf outing today with his Best Buddy, Sam. For those of you who are not familiar with Best Buddies, it's a group started by one of the Kennedys (I forget which one) when he was in college. It pairs a college "buddy" with a community "buddy" (an adult with special needs). It's supposed to foster a relationship between the two. It's also about "seeing" the other person.

Once each month during the school year the college buddies schedule a group activity. Then, during the rest of the month the buddies call each other, do outside activities together and in general get to know one another.

Some years we've had buddies let us down but for the last four years we've had Sam. Sam and Ryan have gone to movies, bowling or just played Wii together. Last year Sam's parents came from his hometown and they formed a foursome for the first Best Buddy golf outing. It was such a success they are doing it again this year.

At first, I was a little nervous. What if Ryan is standing in the way when someone swings the club. {shudder} What if he swings and someone else is standing in the way? {erg!} What if he never hits the ball? {a real possibility} What if ... but then I stopped. I told Sam to make sure that no one was in the way for either scenario and let it go! Honestly, we can sure worry ourselves up! They had a great time! Ryan took his camera and came back full of stories and great pics.

Today they go again. The forecast is sunny and 70 degrees. There's a raffle, Famous Daves is catering ... all in all ... it sounds like a day made in heaven! This year I had IRIS pay for both Ryan's and Sam's outing fees and I hope they have an awesome day. This year I'm heading out to the golf course for the dinner and raffle portion of the festivities.

I recommend Best Buddies if your adult with special needs wants to join a fun and meaningful activity. See you soon!
Karen