“Press the word “PLAY”
There is no word play.
YES THERE IS….P-L-A-Y!!!!
C’MON, you know those letters P-L-A-Y”
We were trying to watch a movie. He was supposed to be pushing the “play” button.
I was upset during that conversation. Mad even. Beyond mad. We worked on letters and words every single day. I scolded my son for not being able to push the stupid “play” button.
He was 5.
It is a day I will never forget.
And never forgive myself for my behavior.
For being mad.
He knew those letters. He knew that word. What the hell?
Turns out he couldn’t see P-L-A-Y
Because he was blind.
Literally.
20/400
In a months period of time……… he went blind.
That’s where we started 8 years ago.
Glasses were not a help, but a protection from being poked or hurt, but they did not make him see any better.
Medicine did…… eventually.
2 years later. By accident. Because of a second condition. And a meditation unneeded or thought of for the first condition. Never tried. Because no one had what he had.
He is one in a billion. A lab rat for medicine by accident.
And through it all, he read at 2 grade levels above where he should be. Still does. I have no idea how. He was blind. Still is in one eye.
He missed school 2-3 times a week for the first 3 years of elementary school and still passed with flying colors. Ahead of the game. Only one incident of not being in line at the right time in Kindergarten. Which devastated him on the last day of school when he finally told me about it.
If you don’t think kids are resilient… you are wrong. They could teach adults a thing or two about just figuring it out. Working through it. Living with what you’ve got and not knowing any better. And being happy.
I have learned more from my son than any other human alive. And I probably always will.
He made me not sweat the small stuff. Because it doesn’t matter.
An update: He’s been stable for 2 years. And this past month got to see a “normal” local eye doctor for his glasses prescription. It was pretty amazing.
His glasses finally help him see better.
And I couldn’t imagine him in a life without them.
His eyes
They are magical to me.
But to him. They are just his eyes.
With new rims now.