106 – April 15. Triumph. Nicholai played in his first football game today, and his team won. I took this photo as he came running back to us once the match was over, overjoyed to share in the win. I love that he is airborne here, because I know that he was certainly feeling like he was walking on air!
There are days when my children amaze me with what they are capable of, and today was one of them. Nicholai played his first football game, and he was amazing.
He went out there and played by the rules, he tried the whole time, he shook hands with his opponent each quarter and then again at the end of the game, he didn’t scream or shout or cry, he played a cooperative team game, he played his best and enjoyed himself, and at the final siren his team won.
It’s so funny because I hate sport. I loathe football, and in all honesty the last sport I hoped my kids would get involved with was bloody football! And then I had my gorgeously impossible Aspie Nicholai and I really thought it was just no longer even an option. I did not think he would want this and be capable of this. Yet today I had to keep on my sunglasses and blink hard so no one would see that I had tears in my eyes, because he can do this and my pride in my bear is unbounded.
There are times when I hate autism and hate what it’s done to our family. I hate the way the fight seems neverending. Then there’s days like today, when Nicholai goes out and kicks some ass and I know that we’re getting somewhere and that there’s so much more my extraordinary child is capable of than that label implies.
This is Nicholai taking a tackle against his opponent, who as you can see was quite a bit bigger than him! He tackled him twice and the other kid got the free kick awarded against him for holding the ball.
Feeling the Sun From Both Sides 