Flashback Friday...I'll Walk With You

Another blog posting borrowing words of wisdom from a fabulous Mormon Primary song:

"If you don't walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won't! I won't!
If you don't talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won't! I won't!
I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.
That's how I'll show my love for you."
--Carol Lynn Pearson

I just LOVE this picture:



This was taken back in 2004. Jake and I were walking from the car to the classroom, and I had my brand new digital camera (may it rest in peace) with me to take a picture of Jake with his Kindergarten teacher. Jake spotted his best buddy from preschool, J.L. getting off the bus and ran ahead to say hello. I've missed so many shots over the years, but managed to capture this one.

So here's the backstory...these guys were in a special day preschool class together (at a different school) the year before. (Trivia: Jake would always say J.L.'s first and last name together, so I thought it was a compound name, like MaryBeth or JimBob.) Jake talked about J.L. constantly. He talked about his Spiderman leg braces, the toys he had, how he wanted to take J.L. to Legoland for his birthday. I didn't realize this, but J.L. did not talk...or at least had not until one day in the classroom, he and Jake were in the reading area together...only the teachers just saw Jake in there...but they heard him talking with someone. His teacher didn't recognize the voice of whoever he was conversing with, so she asked one of the aides, "Who's in there with Jake?" She looked and said, "J.L.!" He still didn't speak a whole lot, but from then on, he did whenever he wanted to...but mostly just to Jake.

He did get to take J.L. to Legoland for his (Jake's) birthday. That was all he wanted. J.L. is a twin, and his brother does not have a disability...so J.L.'s mom said it was great to have a day where she and J.L. could join us for a fun time that was all about him and his friend.

Each of my kids attended preschools in special day classes...either because they needed the support for developmental delays, or as peer role models in classrooms for kids with various disabilities. I'm grateful that each of them had those experiences early so that they learned disabilities are nothing to fear...they are just differences...that great friends come in all sorts of packages.