Swim

Brought the kids for a swim yesterday. Calder was hopping around in excitement as he adjusted himself to the cold water of the pool. Barely 7 minutes into play, however, it started raining and I had to call the kids out of the pool. I registered first Calder's confusion at having to leave the pool so soon. I registered next that he was the first to obey. He came out dripping wet, watched quietly as his sister and cousin played a bit more and eventually came out. The moment is treasured in my heart as I thank God for what a good boy he is.

Why?

A friend recounted to me a heartfelt conversation she had with her teenage son...

The son: Mommy, why is God so unfair to Calder and me? Did we do anything wrong? Why did he make us like that - Calder with his autism and me with my dyslexia and ADHD?

My friend: The world thinks you and Calder are hopeless, but to God,  you are hope. Because you will make it and glorify God in your improvements.

John 9:1‭-‬3 NLT -

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered.

“This happened so the power of God could be seen in him."

Lotus Pao

Calder has been buying food from his school canteen.

Me: What did you eat in school today?
Calder: Lotus pao.

But when I was packing his bag for the next day, I found the lotus pao uneaten in his snack bag.

No wonder he ate his lunch so fast after school - he was hungry for not having eaten his snack.

Why was the lotus pao bought but uneaten?

I figured he had entered the state of paralysis again, not able to do what he wants until prompted. And nobody noticed him not eating the food he bought.

No wonder he had that something-is-not-right look on his face. Something had been left undone.

When Calder is in this strange state of discontent, he would avoid eye contact, to the extent of turning whole body away from people.

What do we do?

We enter twilight zone and wait for him to return.