July 23, 2010~
Hello from Kingsport, Tennessee!
This is your friend, Bertina Jackson, writing. Hope this finds y'all well. We are doing okay; we have our bad days as well as our good days, so we are breakin' about even.
Cordarial, our almost-nine year old with autism spectrum disorder, continues to be a complex child. Some days we think he is making real progress, and then he does something which frustrates us to no end. Take the diaper situation. He had been doing really well with his toilet training, and then on Easter, he crapped himself ... and at the time, we didn't pack any extra diapers. Talk about frustrating!!
He did the same thing on July Fourth. We went to our city's annual celebration and parade, and again, he left us high and dry. I had to ask a complete stranger for some extra diapers. It was mortifying!! I don't know what it is about holidays, but this always happens!!
It never fails!!
We are hoping he will be completely potty trained by the time he goes to school, or else they will not let him in. It is enough to make me want to scream!! He does go to a special school, but unless a child has multiple disabilities, whoever heard of a nine-year-old boy who isn't toilet-trained??
Eating-wise, Cordarial is adding more foods to his diet. We don't have to worry about him not getting the proper nutrients or losing extra weight: he is already skinny enough as it is! He takes after Jacob, his daddy: daddy Jacob is tall and reed thin; Cordarial is probably going to end up being just like him.
Other than the incident at the Fourth of July Celebration (and the fireworks that night, which scared him to death), Cordarial has been making rapid progress. We are very proud of him. I just wish he could master the toilet training; it would make things so much easier on all of us (not to mention, our pocketbook: diapers are NOT cheap)!
The other children (Cordelia, Countess, Ciara, and Cyanne, our princesses) are doing fabulous. Jacob or myself couldn't have asked for better daughters. All continue to burst with good health; for that I am thankful to God. Cordarial is healthy as well other than his developmental and social disabilities. Again, I am thankful: he could have been born blind, deaf, mute, or end up having to use a wheelchair or end up being bedfast. I'm so grateful that he wasn't.
I see some of the children at the parent meetings we have once a month, and their stories will either touch you or break your heart. I don't know why God would allow an innocent child to be born so handicapped they can't do anything for themselves, but I guess even He has his reasons; it is not up to us to question Him.
All I can do is pray for those families who have severely disabled children or pray for my own handicapped son and pray that God uses him for His glory.
I think my faith in God is what keeps us going, even on the bad days. I pray every day and I praise Him for His goodness on our family. Even when I am crying and ready to scream, I find a quiet place to pray and reflect and wait on God's direction; I then follow that and I find it to be to my best advantage.
I don't know what the future will hold for Cordarial, but as long as he masters the art of toilet training and adds more foods to his diet, then I am thankful. He is headed in the right direction. I just pray that it continues.
Well, Cordarial is screaming his head off; don't know why he is, but I'd best look into it fast. I will write in here again soon; until later, take care and God bless! Keep praying for our family (especially Cordarial); I think it's those prayers that are making a world of difference! Thanks in advance!
~In His service,
Your friend in Tennessee, Bertina. :)
*to be continued.*
