Our Inspired Journey

We took a trip to the indoor playground the other day as a family since it is STILL in the 30s and too cold to play outside! This playground is in a church on the edge of town, about 5 minutes from our house, so it's a great way for the boys to run around without catching pneumonia! They love it and I always love observing that there are mostly boys there every time we go...I SO get it...boys need to get out and run around! My boys are definitely included in that! Our best days together are ones where the boys get to go beyond the walls of our home to the library, the playground or mall...the 3 places we can go to get "out" but still be "in" on the cold days :) We do have to be careful on the slides at the playground, however, since they have static and could damage Cole's implants electronically if we don't "ground" him each time he comes down. This just means we touch his body (not the headpieces) each time he comes down so the static is absorbed in our body rather than through the electronic device he wears.Right now, Ryder is learning what it means to be an older brother. In this picture he's wearing his vest from the "Rainbows" class at our church he goes to every Wednesday night were he learns about Jesus and memorizes scripture...he earns badges for the scripture he memorizes and LOVES going! Since both John and I are the "oldest" in our families too, we of course have lots of advice for our little man...whether or not we are right is another story, but we sure do have experience!...just ask our siblings :) Helping Ryder learn the balance between helping when needed and then letting Cole explore on his own also, is a hard thing to teach...I don't know if I ever got that one down! Ask my brother! I always wanted to do more than he wanted me to in the name of "helping" him and I know drove him crazy some of, if not most of the time! Ryder loves his brother and sister so much he calls them whatever I do. Today I asked him to help Cole put his jacket on and I heard him say in a sweet voice, "Come here sweetheart, I can help you with that!" Cole loves the help as long as Ryder doesn't overwhelm him too much :)

When we were at the playground last, Cole had his harness on as usual, with the battery packs on his sides and headpieces in place on his head. John and I have started to notice more eyes on Cole lately as we've been out and about. I totally understand since the external components on his cochlear implants are very visible and may look strange to someone seeing them for the first time. No one has said anything to us yet, or asked about them in anyway until we were at the playground this past week. You gotta love kids...where adults may think things and not say them, kids have no filter...what they think is what you get! Cole was rocking on this motorcycle and some boys who were playing nearby spotted him and stopped.

They stared for a while and then one said, "Look at those things on his head."

The other one responded, "What are they?"

Even though they were just talking to each other about 15 feet away, my heart swelled with compassion for them and for my boy. I could choose to feel angry and protective that they singled him out as different, or I could acknowledge that he does look different right now and help bridge the gap of understanding his difference for them!

So I smiled and said, "They help him hear. His ears can't hear on their own, so these headpieces help him hear!"

Being about 10 years old, the boys were bright and said, "But they're not on his ears!"

"You're right!" I responded thinking, how can I explain this complicated technology as simply as possible! "The headpieces send the sound straight to his brain so they don't need his ears to hear anymore."

This seemed to satisfy the boys and at that moment, Cole jumped of the motorcycle and ran straight for them with his classic "under bite" aggressive looking face he and Ryder both get when they are feeling playful and feisty! The boys jumped back and ran to play somewhere else. I don't know if they were afraid of his CIs or his funny face but either way, Cole showed he was unfazed but the conversation going on over his head :)

These boys were in no way making fun of Cole or teasing him...they were just curious and bold enough to ask questions, which I love! One of the things that breaks my heart the most, however, is when children who are on the outskirts of social circles because they are different in some way, are made fun of by other kids. When I was a teacher, there was nothing I was more intolerant of than kids making fun of other kids....something in me would snap each time and I would immediately have an overwhelming desire to rebuild the self-esteem of the one who was singled-out, telling them how precious and special they were. They'd become my special helper forever in my heart as I wanted to single handedly rebuild any self worth that was destroyed through the comments of the compassion-less. From the time I found out Cole was hearing-impaired, I've thought about how the kids at school will respond to him with his CIs and how he will do in social groups of his peers. I absolutely know he is an incredible boy and will be an amazing friend someday to his peers, but my prayers lately have been for those he's around and for the role God wants Cole to play in their lives as they respond to him with open arms or hesitation. I believe he will be a tool God uses to open the hearts and eyes of many.

Not that Ryder needs to rescue Cole in anyway, because I believe it may be the other way around during some times in their lives as brothers :) but Ryder loves Cole and Cole loves Ryder. They copy each other, they play together, wrestle together and argue but in the end, they give each other the best hugs I've ever seen bothers give. I pray that this bond will continue as they both grow. I know the Lord has purpose in providing each of them this companionship. Lord teach them to be as Jonathon and David...closer than brothers, even friends! May their love and compassion for You and each other impact those they are around to love more fully as we all grow in understanding how each of us are uniquely made in your image!