together

maybe it's just me, but i've noticed something when i'm out and about with akaiya. it really struck me yesterday when i was standing in line at our local wal-mart. there was a man with his two children waiting behind me. they were both boys, big boys, one looked to be about 8 and the other a teenager. the younger one was sitting in the cart, which i thought was odd, but hey - to each his own. so as we were waiting (i always get into the line with the slow check-out!) i talked to kaiya, and people watched. i noticed that the boy in the cart was really interested in akaiya. at first i just figured he was staring at her because she was throwing herself around and laughing hysterically. then she gave out one of her big yells, and he clapped his hands over his ears and looked really worried, stared at me, looked to his dad, kind of whimpered, and said something unintelligible. it was at this point i started to realize that maybe this boy had some issues of his own. so i kept an eye on him and tried to keep kaiya from yelling (good luck with that...) watching them i became pretty sure in my assumptions and it made me realize that whenever i am in public it seems like people that have children with disabilities seem to assemble together even if they don't know each other. i have been in countless checkout lines and have families come stand behind me. are we just naturally drawn to each other? i even notice myself going to the lines in the grocery store that have people with disabilities doing the bagging...comfort in the known?

so back to my checkout line at wal-mart. the person in front of me finally got themselves together and it was my turn. it took forever and a day to get all the stuff i was buying bagged and into the cart and as i was going to pay the older boy was saying something very quietly to his father, and then he was pointing and saying "over there, over there" - the language he was using and his gestures made it evident that he too had some issues. i was walking to the door, and saw where the boy went to stand with his mother, and what looked like his sister - who also appeared to have issues....and it sent my head reeling! here i am dealing with 1 child. yeah, she's got some things going on, but for the most part she's pretty easy. she's getting heavy, but hey - i need to work out and get some muscle anyway! to be the parent to 3 children with disabilities...it's just beyond my comprehension. i get a little taste of it at work each day i guess...but i'm sure it can't compare to raising 3 children. it reminds me to always be thankful for what i have b/c some people have a lot more difficulties that i do.