Wil and I went to pick up pizza in town. As we exited the pizzeria, we saw Will D., Wil’s friend from school.
We enjoyed a quick chat, then as Wil and I headed back to our car, Wil turned around and called out to Will D., “See you tomorrow!”
I’ve never heard my Wil say that when meeting school friends in town. And yet, there it was, thrown out there just like that.
When the common never is, it’s like your life is dotted with little surprise gifts. 🎁
Families and friends gathered for the annual Down Syndrome Support Team Buddy Walk the last Sunday of September. It is traditionally held on that date— though here and there over the years the Buddy Walk has jumped up or back a week. The Buddy Walk takes place on a one mile loop in Gallup Park, then walkers return for Pizza House pizza, music, a silent auction, raffles and games. Last year due to the pandemic we cancelled the walk. It felt good to be back, even with a few changes.
With the strain of the pandemic on businesses we chose not to solicit for the silent auction. However, many beautifully generous raffle baskets were donated and we held a 50/50 raffle. The popcorn machine was going and the band, Know Obstacles, was playing. Leonardo, the lead singer, always packs extra instruments for the kids to play and invites them to jump up on the stage. We chose not to have open pizza due to the pandemic (though we sure missed our Pizza House pizza!) and instead offered pre-packaged snacks that the kids loved.
The weather was an incredible blessing. The skies were a high, bright blue and the temperatures hovered in the low 70s. A light breeze offered just the right refreshment.
Wil’s first Buddy Walk was when he was 7 months old. At the time, the University of Michigan gymnastics team volunteered at the Buddy Walk. I have a photo of all the gymnasts gathered together holding baby Wil. It was 90 degrees that day.
The next year the Herron family joined us and have nearly every year since. Theresa Herron was Wil’s speech therapist at the time. I met her daughters, Ivy and Amelia, and they began to babysit Wil. Each year at the Buddy Walk, it became tradition for Wil to take turns getting piggy-back rides along the walk with Theresa, her husband Jordan, Ivy, Amelia and their brother Elijah.
Beckie Brewis, Wil’s Early On coordinator joined us each year, too, as did the Helquists, Desbroughs and Gregorys; friends we made through a program led by Beckie called First Steps. When Wil entered preschool then elementary school, he met Sarah Stommen, Ashley Bobo and Lila Harvey. Their families have joined us nearly each year since. As Wil grew, the love from our Manchester community grew too, and many more families have joined and supported the Buddy Walk. Manchester’s very own SteeleGrafix made the Buddy Walk t-shirts this year!
The Buddy Walk love has now extended to the friends I have made in my workplace, Orangetheory Fitness. It always awes me how love can spread.
This being our family’s 15th Buddy Walk (we had our own personal Buddy Walk with friends last year in Manchester), we have walked through rain, sunshine and unprecedented heat. We now walk through unprecedented changes in our lives. However, the spirit of the Buddy Walk remains constant – the love and support of individuals with Down syndrome.
Wil’s closest friends are five girls from school; all typically-developing. In our tight-knit community, I hear over and again how special Wil’s friends are. And it’s true. They are. My gratitude is high because I know in another tight-knit community – the community of parents who have children with Down syndrome — Wil’s friendship circle is not commonplace. I wonder, is there a special ingredient these friends have that can be shared? What exactly is it that sets them apart?
One obvious answer is Wil sets himself apart. Not by intention, but by his nature. Wil is funny, silly and goofy at times; as most of us can be. Wil belts out a good tune, and hugs heartily; as most of us are moved to do. Wil grows tired, grumpy and impatient; as we all can. Wil, however, takes all of the above to a slightly, and other times very, different level than most of us.
Last year, I drove Wil through the McDonalds drive-thru to get a Sprite (his reward, aka bribe, for not ditching the school bus to hide in the stairwell. Thanks to a team effort with his teachers, we uncovered another motivator before his teeth rotted).
“We-we-we-welcome back to McDonalds. Wh-wha-wha-what can I get you?” We were asked via the speaker under the drive-through menu. Wil mimicked the words verbatim, then laughed. My child with special needs was making fun of another person with special needs! How could he? Then I thought on this. We all have varying levels of differences. And this was an unfamiliar difference to Wil. A typical reaction for a child, and even adults, is to make fun of what is ununderstood. So, in effect, Wil was responding in a typical way. I marveled at the irony. I also wasn’t going to stand for it.
I turned around in my seat, looked Wil in the eye and said, “Wil, that is how he talks. Just like you talk the way you do, Elizabeth talks the way she does, and Katherine talks the way she does. We all talk differently. There is nothing to make fun of. Sometimes all you need to do is be patient and listen.”
“Oh, ok,” he said. I pulled up to pick-up window, and Wil leaned forward from the back seat and waved, yelling, “Hi!” Then “Thank you!” Wil has good manners when he’s not being a pistol.
One of my favorite quotes from Wil’s friend, Ashely Bobo is, “That’s just Wil being Wil.” She says this with a shrug and a smile, as any friend would. When Wil grew tired in gym class, he laid flat on the floor as his friends jumped rope. When he was ready, he hopped back into the jump rope game and his friends cheered him on.
Another favorite quote is from Wil’s friend, Lila Harvey. Wil and Lila were playing on the slide at the playground. Wil decided to plant himself at the top. When it was clear to Lila he wasn’t budging she said, “Stop fooling around Wil and get down here!” Wil considered this for a beat, then down he went. Lila knows how to call his bluff, as any good friend would.
Wil and his friends do not have a level playing field, yet they built a friendship on common ground. They are not perfect, either (everyone needs a reminder to use their patience and listening skills now and then). What they have created together is a friendship circle. In the center a revered place to meet, surrounded by a wide breadth of latitude for their varied level of differences. A circle that is absolutely duplicatable; and yet it is not commonplace. That is exactly what makes this group of friends so very special.
“I was just wondering if Wil wanted to be part of the 7 dwarfs. We were thinking he could be Snuggly, Giggly, Silly, or Smiley! Considering Wil has all those traits!” I received this text from Ashley about Halloween costumes. Ashley and Wil, now in 8th grade, have gone to school together and been friends since preschool.
I read Ashley’s text aloud to Wil. He jumped up and responded, “Yes!” Wil chose Smiley, then I received another text from Ashley: “Or Seeger was thinking he could be the prince if he wanted to.” (Seeger is another good friend of Wil’s from school.)
“The prince!” Wil said without an ounce of hesitation. Which is quite apt, as Wil’s friends, who are planning a Snow White-style Halloween, are all girls.
Our Down Syndrome Support Team holds an annual Buddy Walk the last Sunday of September to raise awareness and acceptance for individuals with Down syndrome. With the pandemic, the decision was to hold a virtual event. Wil and his friends were not to miss out, so we held a small, local walk to which about 30 friends participated in. Wil, of course, walked with his close buddies, Ashley, Seeger, Lila and Sarah. At one point during the walk, Wil decided he needed a break and sat down on the sidewalk. Wil’s friends stopped and cheered him on. With their encouragement, Wil jumped up and they all started running. The friends joked it was the “Buddy Run.”
Near the end of the walk, we climbed to the top of school bus loop. Once at the top, Wil’s friends ran down the steep, grassy hill along the side of the bus loop. Wil remained at the top, looking trepid. Once again, the cheering section arose. His friends’ cheers nudged Wil over the edge and he tore down the hill. Once united, the friends jumped, laughed and cheered in a circle. It’s just as rewarding to be the cheerleader as it is to be the cheered.
Last year, I was talking to Ashley after school. She told me about an activity in gym the group of friends enjoyed participating in together. Then she said Wil grew tired and laid flat out on the gym floor. She shrugged her shoulders, smiled and said, “That’s just Wil being Wil.”
When Wil doesn’t have the words, his actions are his communication. Wil’s friends understand his language. Wil doesn’t judge others or create drama; it’s simply not in his arsenal. In that way, his friends are fully free to be themselves. If you are sad, he accepts your sadness without question. If you are happy, he accepts your happiness fully. If you feel goofy, he’s more than willing to join you in the silliness. If you need a hug, he has one at the ready. If that’s your clothing style, then it’s cool. To Wil, that’s just you being you.
As a parent of a child with special needs, I know first-hand the fight for acceptance. I also know first-hand that acceptance is quite fundamental: It’s just friends being friends.
The DSST Buddy Walk was virtual this year, but thanks to Wil’s amazing friends and this caring community, we had our own fun walk of about 30 people (and dogs!) in Manchester. Our local Steelegrafix LLC made our shirts this year and not only donated a portion of the proceeds to DSST, but also matched that amount! Manchester Mirror wrote an article about the event: http://themanchestermirror.com/2020/09/28/annual-buddy-walk-goes-virtual-for-2020/?fbclid=IwAR0_R7peFOfYsXal3REQWOTEXy-oZogfEFm6ps0SZ3y43ET1ofljqRZO11Q
Thanks to all who supported and/or walked!! If you’d still like to donate, Wils link is:
https://secure.frontstream.com/buddywalk2020/team/924124
Two weeks ago, I shared a story with you about our tubing adventure on Lake Lansing with friends Cheri, Randy and their son, CJ. Thanks to Cheri’s patience, Wil overcame his fears and very tentatively got on the tube with her. With much coaxing, Cheri convinced Wil to go for a very slow ride. Wil’s fear morphed into thrill that day, and he couldn’t wait to come back for another try.
Wil’s second attempt was vastly different from his first. Wil eagerly hopped on the tube with his friend CJ, who also has Down syndrome. CJ is very adept at water sports. He tubes, wakeboards, ZUPs – you name the water sport and he’s likely an expert. He’s also fun to watch as he has great enthusiasm and knows lots of tricks. CJ, thus experienced, easily got up on his hands and knees on the tube. Wil followed CJ’s lead and propped himself up on his hands and knees. We all cheered Wil on from the boat.Wil and CJ bounced over big waves and even went outside of the wake. Wil’s smile never faded. What a transformation from his first ride!
After the tubing fun, we were all hungry. We decided to make a trip to Culver’s for a bite to eat. Wil loves a cheeseburger so he was pumped up. CJ was also pumped up to eat a cheeseburger with his friend, Wil. Cheri and I exchanged stories how Wil and CJ can tend to swallow things whole, as it’s so much work to chew certain foods. (Many individuals with Down syndrome have low muscle tone, making chewing certain foods a challenge.) Cheeseburgers are one of those challenging foods for CJ. He typically removes the bun and cuts up the cheeseburger. This day, however, CJ was determined to eat a full cheeseburger complete with the bun like Wil.
CJ watched Wil (an experienced cheeseburger eater) devour his cheeseburger, then looked down at his own cheeseburger with doubt. Cheri reminded CJ he could do this and she helped him cut the cheeseburger, with the bun still on it, into quarters to make it easier to chew. CJ picked up a quarter and bit into it. He chewed it slowly and tentatively.“CJ, you are eating a cheeseburger!” Cheri cheered. CJ looked at his mom with a huge grin. It was an exciting moment and we all cheered CJ on. By the third quarter CJ was eating like a champ. In fact, Cheri had to remind him to slow down! He finished his fourth quarter and we all reveled in his accomplishment. Not a light in the room beamed brighter than CJ.With the power of friendship, that tube and cheeseburger never stood a chance. Cheers to the champs of the day: Wil and CJ!
~Photo credit: Cheri Vincent Riemer
~Thanks for sharing this story Manchester Mirror: http://themanchestermirror.com/2020/09/07/stories-of-wil-champs-of-the-day/
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Wil as a young adult. Will he live with Matt and myself? Will he live independently with help? Will he have his own apartment with a friend? Wil is a very social person; he loves to swim, golf and hang out with friends. I know he’ll want to be involved in various activities as a young adult. Right now, with the pandemic, I’m always looking for ways to keep him active, healthy and interested in hobbies as there is less available. Recently, he had a virtual theater class with his Down syndrome support group. He greatly enjoyed singing and dancing with his friends he hasn’t seen for months.
Wil values his independence. He takes walks by himself in our back field with our yellow lab, Woody. He calls these walks his “adventures.” While he handles most of his self-care on his own, he does not fully appreciate the dangers of traffic and strangers. He also doesn’t understand the value of money. Over time, his understanding of finances and dangers may come. Or it may not. As I have not been gifted a crystal ball, what I can do is find ways to broaden his independence and foster his growth.
I thought Wil having time home alone with his good friend, Lila Harvey, would be a great independence booster for Wil. I asked Lila’s mom, Rebecca, if she would be comfortable with Lila staying with Wil for just over 2 hours without me home. Wil enjoys Lila’s company greatly, she is smart as a whip, and stands firm on her ground. She’s also very good at finding activities they both can enjoy; which is no small task especially for someone her age. I’m always impressed and thankful for their friendship. Rebecca and Lila were both on board.
When I told Wil he would be home alone with Lila, he looked up at me in shock, then said, “Yay!”
Wil and Lila both love music, so when Lila arrived, Wil got out his iPad and they started singing songs together. I left on that high note.
When I returned home, they were both racing their bikes in the driveway. Two pairs of mud-caked boots were on the porch and Woody was wet and muddy; his tail was a-wagging.
“Hi Mom!” Wil yelled out as he sped by on his bike. The scent of lemongrass bug spray hung in the air behind him.
“Hi Miss Christie,” Lila said, “we had a dance party then walked to the river. It was low and muddy, but we had a good time.”
I suppose in our own ways, we all tested the waters that day. Though our waters are not always crystal clear, they are good fun for jumping in and getting your boots muddy. I breathed in the refreshing scent of lemongrass hanging in the air as my son sped by at his own speed, his friend racing with him, and his dog’s tail a-wagging.
As Wil has gotten older, it’s clear he needs closer friends with Down syndrome. He has wonderful friends at school that love and support him fully. As the gap in abilities with his typical peers grows and social lives expand, Wil also needs to cultivate friendships with those whose abilities match his.
Manny’s family lives in the neighboring town, so his mother, Laura, reached out to get our boys together. Manny will be entering 9th grade, and Wil 8th.
When Manny arrived at our house, it was our second get-together. We had met at Portage Lake the previous week and a friendship was formed. Though both Manny and Wil had talked of this second get-together for days, when Manny entered our house he went to the couch and Wil retreated to his bedroom. They were overwhelmed.
I took a big sigh of relief. Why? Because this was normal behavior not for just one of them, but for both of them.
I coaxed Wil out of his room, and Laura coaxed Manny to show Wil the toys he brought. Manny won Wil’s heart by bringing him a can of Sprite to drink with lunch.
The two laughed and were silly with lunch, and that broke the ice. But after lunch, they separated again. Even this separation was refreshing to me as it’s usually Wil I’m coaxing while others wait. This day, we were all gloriously on the same page, even if Manny and Wil were apart. Manny’s older sister, Grace, was there, and she kept the conversation going engaging both Wil and Manny. Like Katherine and Elizabeth (who were at a birthday party), this is Grace’s normal, and she handles it, well, with grace.
Laura suggested a movie to start the ball rolling again. And roll the ball we did — Manny chose Hotel Transylvania 3 and we played a game where we sat on the floor and rolled the ball to each other. When the music in the movie played, that was the kryptonite to whatever was holding them back. Manny and Wil broke out their dance moves. Then Wil broke out his karaoke player and jammed to Luke Bryan while Manny jammed on his Bluetooth mic he brought from home.
After the jam session, we headed outside to the driveway to ride bikes. Manny tried Wil’s recumbent bike while Wil rode his bike with training wheels. The handles on the recumbent bike are what steer it. Manny is used to using an elliptical machine, so he was pumping the handles back and forth zig zagging around. I thought that was a smart technique. With a few more tries, he figured it out and was zooming around, even on the grass!
Then I took Manny on the 4-wheeler. He “woohoo’d” the entire time. The guy has a need for speed!
Soon it was time for them to go, and we said our goodbyes until next time. I talked to my sister that evening, and told her how great it is to have a get-together where the kids are on the same level. It’s something you just don’t take for granted.
A day full of stops, starts, zig-zags, and full speeds ahead — all the while, remaining gloriously in sync.
(Photo: Potato chip lips)
I would say this situation is hardest on Wil. He doesn’t understand as much as I’ve explained it. I’ve heard the response, “I don’t understand, either,” which I respect and appreciate. But Wil doesn’t understand what a virus is. We do know what a virus is, even not knowing all the details of this particular one.
In many ways, I’ve related this extended experience to living with Wil as an adult, should he decide to live at home. I’m the one he leans on, I’m the one he has to talk to, I’m the one to motivate his reading/speech/motor skills, and nearly 100% of his way to get to places. Many of his typical peers, in the coming years, won’t need this help and will be knee deep in their own lives. The importance of Wil making friends with those of his abilities is becoming more apparent and essential. I’ve had parents of adults with Down syndrome tell me of the limited opportunities and activities for their kids. They are their kids’ anchors and a great part of their entertainment and continuation of learning skills. I used to think, “Well, there has to be more out there for our kids.” I heard their words, but couldn’t grasp the full meaning of what they meant. While I can’t yet see through the same lens as they do, as Wil gets older I’m grasping more of what they were telling me. I’m feeling it more than just hearing the words. Please don’t misunderstand, none of us would trade this life. We love our chromosome-enhanced life. What I’m getting at is it’s a new reality for us that we have few examples of. Our kids mature and the divide grows between the typical world and our Down syndrome world.
I’ve heard the response, “No one knows what the future holds.” I appreciate respect that answer. But there are situations we grasp even if we don’t have all the details, and situations we don’t grasp simply for the reason we have nothing to relate it to.
Just because we think we understand, doesn’t mean we do…until we can feel it for ourselves. Then it becomes real.
'WIL'ingness = Willing to Embrace Extra in Life 