ALL Children are Special

I have hesitated on this post for a while, mainly because I could not decide on a title. I want to talk about Isaac, about the nature of this unique child. It is hard for me to talk about him without being tempted to throw a diagnosis on him or cram him into a small little box. I wish to do neither of those things, my intent is to help others see what I see, a very unique and amazing individual.

Every person has their strengths and weakness, we all have limitations to what we can accomplish and where we can go in life. What makes me different from you are these limitations. I hate using words like 'special needs' when describing children who do not fit into a typical mold. ALL children are special dammit! ALL children have areas in which they struggle and other areas in which they excel. The fact that most children can conform and be easily molded into the "ideal student" doesn't mean that should be the standard of a human being. In case you don't already know, I am not a huge fan of the public school system. My main criticism comes from this idea that all children of a certain age should be at a certain level. Some kids just learn at a different pace, some come at a solution from a different angle, and some choose not to study in certain areas while advancing in others. These are concepts that cause problems in a large scale system that is meant to produce specific results from a diverse group. You can't stop the train to let one person off, everyone needs to get off at the same stop. So what happens to that one kid, the one who is ready to de-board the train 30miles before it's scheduled stop...well he has to sit down, shut up and wait, and lose 30miles. It isn't fair to the other passengers to stop the train for one kid, they have a schedule to keep, and it obviously isn't fair to that one kid to go 30 miles ahead of where he is ready to get off. So what is the solution, well if you are the parent of that one child you drive him where he wants to go instead of sticking him on a train that is full speed ahead. So in a nutshell that is where my conviction to homeschool Isaac has come from. It's not that I hate the public school system, although I do dislike it as a whole, it is rather that I know it is not for my child.

Isaac Reed; the thinker
He often reminds of JD from scrubs, something you said sends him off into dreamland. You can see the wheels turning, he is going back to a past memory, or thinking deeply about something he has yet to experience. The world is full of interesting and complex ideas to this boy. He is fascinated with how and why things work. He has never been one to quiz you with a thousand questions, "why this-why that-but w-h-y", rather he observes and ponders the questions in his own head. He comes up with his own answers to things, and can be very convicted in those answers, sometimes unwilling to listen to your ideas on the matter. He puts hours of thought into what just happened, he locks into memory every detail of every experience. He thinks carefully about where he is going and what he will do, and he is uneasy when he can't wrap his head around what is to come.

Isaac Reed, the compassionate
He thinks before he tells you he loves you, because when he says it he really wants to mean it. He might not always realize you are hurt or sad, but when he does he genuinely feels for you. He truly enjoys doing things for people, he is at his best when offering a helping hand. His heart is always on his sleeve. He puts love into everything he makes. He goes all out with his hugs and kisses. He wants to know why you feel the way you do, he really tries to understand even if he cannot. He loves to make you smile, he wants to hear over and over that you love him, and he gets his feelings hurt very easy.

Isaac Reed, the problem solver
He thinks hard for a solution when you are posing a problem. He can always find a way to get what he wants. He knows how to manipulate the situation to his advantage, that a smile and the simple phrase "I love you" will break even the toughest daddy. Nothing is impossible, some things may take him longer and he sometimes may ask for help but this boy sees everything as doable. He sees the beauty of a challenge, that the pride is greater when the task is harder to accomplish. He understands his limitations, he will stop when it doesn't feel right and look for another way.

Isaac Reed, the creative
He loves to create things. He spends hours constructing towers out of blocks, art masterpieces with markers and pencils, or a theatre stage for his puppets. He loves to pretend, although he fully understands it is pretend. He lives vicariously through movie or book characters, indulging in adventures and heroism. He loves his books, spending hours just staring into the pages. You can see his eyes fixated while his mind is far far away. He sometimes has a hard time living in reality, his mind just can't come back from where it has drifted, these are times when he cannot hear your request, he is busy and you will just have to come back later. Other times he has a hard time thinking outside of his literal understanding of a concept, these are times when the poptart cannot be road map with lines running through it it needs to be smooth and straight like a poptart should be.

Isaac Reed, the grateful
He is a truly thankful child and he lets you know it. He thanks me for washing his blanket, pouring him a glass of milk, and giving him good night kisses. It is more than just a simple phrase, he is genuinely thankful that you have taken the time to do something for him. In return he loves to give you a reasons to thank him. He loves to be of service, and feels truly respected when you ask his opinion on a matter. He sees real value in the simple gestures. He knows that a hug means more than the words "I am sorry", that a picnic outside under the tree is a way to thank God for a beautiful day, that sharing your favorite toy with a friend is a way to say "I like you", and that breaking off a small piece of everything you have to give to your baby sister is a way to say "I will always be here for you".

Isaac Reed, my son
He is the reason I am who I am today. He gives my life a purpose, and a direction. He derails me from my course often and forces me to rethink my whole approach to life. He gives me a reason to stop, slow down, and spend time on a blanket outside. He reminds me that life is not about status, money, materialism, and how much I get done in a day... it's about hugs, kisses, singing silly songs, art projects, finding shapes in the clouds, hiding from monsters, building forts, running in circles, and laughing till your belly hurts. Most importantly he has taught me that every person is unique, special, important, and here for a different purpose. I have learned that unconditional love means acceptance and respect, that as a mother to my children I have to believe in their abilities, respect their limitations, and preserve their esteem. I will not try to change, mold, or reform my children, instead I will guide, protect, and love them. God has created them to be who they are and he has a distinct and individual purpose for them both, I have been trusted to see that purpose fulfilled as it was meant to be.