My household is not very invitation-friendly. Socializing is very hard for neurodiverse families. I could go to a party anytime, and it is overwhelming for some.
However, a special cookout invite brings joy to the least interested person -Anand. Mr. Husband's colleague lives on a lake and is a wonderful host. Those cookouts are always big, but somehow we all find something there for each of us, especially Anand. The boat ride is one of my favorite thing; Mr. Husband finds his colleagues, some drinks, and food. The hosts have five children, and their friends are always there, so both the boys have plenty of company. There are a lot of young kids, and Anand is very happy having them around.
This year, the first invite for summer couldn’t come any faster. Unfortunately, it was pouring that day, but we still made it. The boys swam in the lake while it was raining and enjoyed the hot tub. We ate a lot of food. There were very few of us who made it that day, but for us, it was worth it. Anand played with some kids who may be 8-10 years younger than him. At one point, it did make me sad, thinking he could have been doing different things with people his age. But soon, his happy face made me forget "my expectation." He was "happy," and that's all that mattered at that time. He even posed for the pictures.
I do go through all these emotions from time to time, and I know they are not going away any time soon, but I am getting better at focusing on what is "today" instead of what could it be.
What is your story?
A kosa saree for a lunch at a friend.
Hi Jaya:
ReplyDeleteCookouts for me are barbeques.
They are lots of fun!