appreciation week

A truly heartwarming update for anyone who could use one... here are a couple of highlights to our week that will serve as a reminder of the power of good...

So this was Teacher Appreciation Week and on Monday when Hayden's weekly school packet was delivered-- (yes, during this pandemic the Educational Services Commission actually has a bus deliver schoolwork to our home every week--) there was a card in it. Specifically, a thank you card with a gift card, and the note from his teacher read in part, "Happy Teacher Appreciation... I feel you are the teacher to be appreciated!"

A gesture that I have few words for, but will always remember how her words made me feel. I was almost as grateful for it as I was frustrated that she didn't use that gift amount for herself instead, but either way the sentiment is just one of many examples of the generous and kindhearted (almost to a fault) kind of person that she is. Hayden's first two teachers in elementary school were both the kind of teachers you would literally handpick for your kid if you could. In the simplest of terms, two different people with the perfect balance of teaching, nurturing, and advocating. And for Hayden to be paired with a third teacher of that caliber yet again... I can only say we continue to count our lucky stars.

So the next highlight of our week was actually something that would make Hayden feel how I did.

While I don't have a photo to accompany this scene, in the early evening rain last night our son stood patiently on our front lawn. He had a whole bunch of stuff from his shed lined up curbside, because he wanted to have a yard sale. We are eight weeks into these stay-at-home orders and what can I say, he was having a day. He is a very young child in the body of a young man-- a teenager with a voice that seems to get deeper every week, while developmentally he is just a little kid. If you're new to my blog Hayden was born with a genetic condition called fragile x syndrome. FXS is the most common inherited form of intellectual impairment and so far, the only known single gene cause of autism when there is a dual diagnosis.

So the semi-pretend* yard sale fixation carried over to today (*including some items he would not actually want to part with). He was out front with a rusty old wheelbarrow, an antique car jack, a grocery store shopping basket, an empty popcorn tin, a couple of hand trucks, a Regular gasoline sign, a small stop sign, an old bike helmet, a two-seater seat from a child-size electric dune buggie, a bin attachment for a ride-on mower, and a red wagon. Plus a few other miscellaneous items.
I posted a short video of his merchandise on facebook and captioned it (in part) to say that this was one of the very few times in my life that I almost wish we didn't live on such a quiet, no-through street tucked about as far up in the neighborhood as you can get from the main road. Hashtag #AnybodyWannaDoADriveby

We live in northwest NJ and my sister in NY state called me when she saw the post. She asked if should could talk to Hayden and buy something from his yard sale. I hesitated because she wouldn't really be there, or be coming to get the stuff, and that might not sit well with him. She had shown the post to my no-social-media brother-in-law, who then overheard our phone conversation, and spontaneously decided to drive out and shop Hayden's yard sale. 

He left with the seat, the helmet, the jack, the tin, and an inflatable easel (not pictured above).
He also paid Hayden for each item. 

That's the half that'll get you right at your heartstrings but the other half will give you a chuckle... because after he shopped Hayden's sale he stuck around to do some yard work and mowed part of our lawn! There he is way in the distance! 

For hours after he left, nearly every few minutes Hayden squealed about his uncle showing up and how he had such a good sale. 

The noteworthy cherry on top to this day was when our neighbor donated to his cause with an awesome road sign...

and donated to our household with fresh bialys from the city.

A week of appreciation indeed. Today would have been one of my late grandmother's 98th Birthday, and I choose to believe those who are departed are still with us. So I hope that even with some other concerns going on right now on that side of the family, just maybe all of this is making her heart smile too.

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