Last Session

(sorry this has dragged on forever, but I'm finally finding the time to post the end of Ben's story so that I can move on to others. Thank you all for your patience!)


Gift in tow, I arrived to the house. I didn't let it hit me that this was my last session with Ben because OF COURSE I'd keep in touch, and all that....

Ben ran away from me when he saw me, giggling. I chased after him but unfortunately my feet couldn't run as fast as his cute little ones. I walked into his room.

"Hmm....where is Ben? I can't find him!" I said, quite loudly so that Ben would hear. I heard heavy breathing coming from under the table.

"Beeeen, where are you? I am getting sad! I want to play with my Benny!"

I heard giggling. He was so darn cute. How much easier it would be if I could just take him home with me!

I bent down and stuck my head under the table. Louder giggling. "I found you, you silly boy!"

"Silly!" mimicked Ben.

"Come out, silly boy."

More giggling, accompanied by a "no!"

"Okay....I guess Ben doesn't want to play with my puzzles today..."

Well that got him. He crawled out and tried to climb on my lap, as I had situated myself on the chair. "Oh...you DO want to play with my puzzles!"

I squeezed him tight. I think Ben remained on my lap for a lot of the session. We moved to the floor a couple times too. I spent our last session mostly playing with Ben and getting as much language from him as I could.

The last ten minutes of our session, I sat across from Ben as he did a puzzle from his seat. Rather than placing the puzzle on the table, he had placed it on my lap. So there I was, trying to balance it while writing up my last progress summary notes for Ben Donaldson.

I was deep in thought. Thinking of how I'd miss him. Thankful for how much he has enriched my life. Greatful that he has so much potential for a wonderful life ahead of him. Sad to let him go. Oh, and of course, writing my notes on his overall progress.

I almost didn't notice the tugging on my skirt. When I did, I pretended to ignore him, as I wanted to illicit speech. "Biddy, Biddy," he said, with his cute little voice.

I'll take that, I thought, smiling at him. "What, Ben?"

"Where da truck?" he asked.

I was stunned. I looked down at his puzzle. It was a transportation puzzle with a helicopter, car, train, airplane, boat.... and surely the truck was missing. Embarrassingly enough, I tried not to cry. It was right then, at that moment, when I realized Ben didn't need me anymore. I had done my thing, and now it was time to move on.

Ben had discriminated. Illicited eye contact. Desired recognition. Spoke a sentence.

I looked in my bag, but couldn't find the piece. "It's lost, Ben. But you're right! The truck is missing!" I gave him a hug.

He shrugged his shoulders, and looked at me. I smiled at him.

I finished writing my notes and we walked into the living room. I picked Ben up and hugged him tightly. "I'm not gonna say goodbye," I said to his new mom, and to him too. "It isn't goodbye. We are going to keep in touch."

Now, I have said that to many families, but I really meant it with Ben. I just couldn't imagine never seeing him again, so it had to happen.

I started walking out the door. As it closed behind me, I looked through the living room window. Ben was waving.

I waved back. Then I got into my car, and slowly drove away.

In my mind I thought, "Goodbye, Ben."

Johnny

http://www.stservicemovie.com/

Progress

I was sitting in Ben's room, taking turns with him building blocks at his little table.

"Your turn," I said to him.

"Your turn," he mimicked.

"Ben, look at me." His blue eyes met mine. "Listen, and wait," I told him. "Your turn - you go." I put my finger to my mouth as if to say "shh" and Ben was quiet. He then took his turn.

"You.." I prompted.

"Your turn!" he squealed. I giggled. He did too.

I put the blocks away, then asked him, "what's your name?"

"Ben Donaldson."

I lifted him up out of his chair and threw him up in the air until he was laughing uncontrollably. “Yay!” I shouted. “You said your FULL name!”

I heard Lisa laugh from the other room. Then we all laughed together. Then I remembered. Time was ticking.

What, I thought... what was I going to do without this child in my life?

After The Fact

I continued my time with Ben, and couldn't believe the progress he was making. Throughout the next couple of weeks, Sally would call, but I wouldn't answer - just as I was advised to do. Ben never failed to shock me with things he knew, his eagerness to learn, his desire for an interaction with me and the rest of the world.

He blossomed into a happy, cheerful, playful child -- it was almost hard to tell he had a diagnosis.
But yet, we continued to work, and he continued to strive. He flew through his programs, and started speaking three and four word utterances. His new programmer, Janet, did an exceptional job keeping his book up to date. I never did tell her though, that Ben and I did our own thing together. That we had a special bond. That I cared so much for him. At work I did my job; it just meant so much more to me than just a job.

The weeks flew by, and summer approached. I started getting nervous. I knew that when Ben turned three, our time would be up. What would happen then?

My Sista's Back

FYI: My sister has finally started posting on her blog again. It's "flutist" on my blogroll. She changed the website but I now updated it on my link list. I invite you all to check out her blog!

~ Psyched

The Revealing Phone Call (Part 2)

It all made sense now. Every last bit. But how could I have not seen it before??

I think I did, though... on some weird level. Sally never sat right with me, but domestic violence? Images flooded my mind, of Ben watching fights.

Knives…yelling…throwing…threatening...

I was scared.

I cleared my throat and found my words.

“I am so glad Ben is safe now.” (Was that all I could manage to spit out??)

“He is, although you are not allowed to answer any of Sally’s calls. She will try and get hold of you, as she has done with us.”

“I won’t,” I replied.

“This is serious, Mindy. No one is to hear of Ben’s progress but Lisa and her husband.”

“Okay.” I managed to choke out.

And with that, I hung up the phone.

Anyone Can Make A Difference

Change The World! http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/