Changes

As I knew it would, the time has come which has totally broken my heart...the time to say goodbye to my favorite client.

Since this little boy was in second grade, I have worked with him each week, sometimes several times a week. This person (who happens to have autism) is not a little boy anymore---he is now sixteen (!), and for the past nine years he and I have tackled the issues that he has most difficulty with...social skills and talking with other people.

His family has given me the gift of continuing to work with him each week throughout my private practice days, even until now. But, as life (and my schedule) are changing, I am no longer able to meet with him during our once a week outings in the community.

Several times, people I knew would see us out in the community---him struggling to communicate effectively with the counter girl at Starbuck's, and me (the by-stander), coaching him through it. I wanted to burst out with how proud I was of his courage and determination---to do things that are so difficult, but persisting because he knows it will make him better in the end! That always embarrassed him though, so I was forced to hold back the gushing raves.

The people that I had him interacting with---the Border's bookstore worker, the guy in Best Buy, the waiter in a restaurant---could never understand just how difficult his assignments really were. I know they often wondered what we were up to...but each week he pushed himself a bit further until the job of interacting with people became no big deal. Just recently, he flawlessly ordered my tall decaf cafe mocha---eye contact, answering questions, repairing communication breakdown with the nit-wit counter girl, and all! :)

I left their house crying tonight, after his bear hug squeezed the tears out of me. I'm still sitting here weeping as I think of how far he has come and that I have had the blessing of helping him along the way! This is why I do what I do---broken heart and all! That kid has become a part of who I am, almost like my own child. The little boy that used to hold my hand in the school hallway telling me "I can't", now towers over me by a foot and tells me "I can." :)

I left with his words ringing in my ears "Mrs. Kemper, you've taught me everything I know...I'll miss you" as he runs down the stairs engaging in a George Lopez monologue... :))

I'll miss you too, C.O.---most will never understand the struggles that you overcome daily...you have MUCH to be proud of!