I am watching my three year old daughter dance right now. She is tapping. And twirling. Sitting when needed. And following directions.
This morning she asked to brush her teeth. And clip her nails too. She quacked like a duck.
Last night she pointed to a star and said ‘mama, look at the wishing star.’
She puts her own shoes on. She dresses herself when she adamantly wants to wear something.
She walked with me and her brother Cooper to the bus the other day and said ‘bye Pooper on bus.’ (Yes, pooper.)
Typical child development is unbelievable. How do they learn all this stuff?! It’s so easy for her. All of it. Same with my other two.
I gasped as she ran into dance class and found her name written on a piece of paper and sat down beside it. How does she know? It’s just so instinctive.
It’s never been like this with autism. Not once. She has passed her older brother in almost every area now.
Ten years between. She leapfrogged so effortlessly. And yet holds his hand whenever she can.
It’s beautiful and amazing and heartbreaking all at once. It’s a combination of feelings, none of them wrong.
Cooper will be 28 years old when she graduates. What will life look like then? I can’t even imagine yet.
What a gift this little girl is.
