The invitation

It has always been one of the things that has been painful since the Batsman's diagnosis. I would hear the voices of other kids after kinder, screeching and pleading, "Mum....can she come and play at my house" and "Dad...I want him to come to my birthday party". I would watch these children, revelling in the possibility of play dates and social interaction and I would wonder if the Batsman would one day show the same interest. As parents we all want our kids to grow up to have friends don't we?

This week our youngest boy, the Bowler, turned three. We had a party for family and a few close friends. A couple of days before I was busy baking the Bowler's birthday cake while the Batsman shared a play date with a kinder buddy, facilitated as part of his therapy program. I showed them the cake I was baking for the party and came close to swooning when the Batsman said "um....T, T, would you like to come to my brother's birthday party?". It was the first time he had invited a peer to be part of something social with him. The. First. Time. Ever. My heart beat faster and the tears welled.

Keep going beautiful boy, keep surging forward. You are nothing short of amazing.

Postscript: "T" asked his mum and subsequently came to the party. A marvellous, cake eating, lolly munching, sand pit digging, trampoline jumping and happy birthday singing time was had by all.