Why Am I Doing This?

This week I had the opportunity to spend some time helping out at theater production that my daughter was in. Before one of the performances, I was helping a woman and her son to find their seats. With all of the sights and sounds going on around him, he struggled a bit to stay focused. As many parents and caregivers of children with sensory processing issues find that their sensory processing can become difficult as well, just with the anticipation of how their child will react at any given moment, his mother was on high alert. We had gotten to the seats and as I pointed them out, I got a fist to the face. It was not out of aggression or anger. It was just an impulse that he couldn’t master. His mother was very apologetic. She was tired and overwhelmed. What she didn’t realize, was that I have been there. It could not have happened to a more prepared or understanding person. I assured her that it was alright and left them to enjoy the show.

After the show, I went up to her to tell her about our carnival event for Matthew’s Helping Hands. She explained to me that they were beginning to take her son out into the community and working on his social skills. When I explained what Matthew’s Helping Hands was about, she said, with relief on her face, “you mean that it is a place that we can take him and not have to feel bad the whole time?” That is exactly right. That is why I am doing this!