Traveling Blues
So the four of us — Me, The Boy, The TeenGirl, and The Mom, went up to Albany NY for a family wedding.
9 hours travel time each way.
Nothing like extended time in close quarters to shine a spotlight on our challenges. To wit:
The Dad: I don’t like to follow rules (my refusal to listen to our GPS guy added 2 hours to our trip up) … I get very anxious when I don’t know what’s coming next (see GPS issues above — I want to see the whole route on a map, not just the next 5 miles!!!).
The Boy: Seriously. loves. pushing. buttons. Imagine his joy in finding an electric window control within easy reach. Imagine The Mom’s dismay in discovering that the “window lock” feature on her groovy car doesn’t work … Hates veils (and masks — basically anything that covers the face). Kind of a problem at a wedding. Stressed about The Bride’s veil for two days straight. Turns out she didn’t wear her veil over her face. Sigh.
The Mom & The TeenGirl: Were awesome. Typical.
During the wedding itself, someone’s phone went off in the middle of the Mass. Three times. I was really glad I had reminded The Mom to turn off her phone before the service started. I don’t even bring my phone into churches or meetings.
Afterward, The Mom told me that The Boy had set the alarm on the family iPod. And then tucked the iPod in her purse. Where it went off three time. Once again The Boy’s delight in all things electronic swamps my love of quiet and decorum.
On the other hand (and this is no small thing), The Boy did an awesome job asking the blessing at the rehearsal dinner. It’s one of his gifts. Although he did say he would rather have used a microphone. Because, you know, buttons.
Through the Roof
A Blog Supported by the Mosaic ministry of Third Church, ECO
"Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on." (Mark 2:3-4)
About: This is a blog about accessibility, intimacy, and community. About being welcome. It’s also about bringing up The Boy. He's 10 years old and has cerebral palsy. Also popping up are The TeenGirl, who just turned 13, and The Mom, who is awesome. It's written by The Dad. It's my words, my view. Other people will think differently and have different opinions. Good.