Sitting at home, listening to the rain, I think to myself would I enjoy it as much if I weren’t the mom of a son with a disability? It’s an odd question, but lately I’ve been realizing how much of an impact my son, Caleb has on my life.
I look at life from a different perspective because of him. He’s slowed me down a lot and taught me the importance of being in the moment. He’s also taught me to value and cherish life because every day is a gift.
But the greatest impact Caleb has on my life is his joy. He is a joy magnetic, finding it everywhere even in mundane places. It’s his talent and he’s very good at it. And through the years he’s taught me how to find it because he points it out everywhere. He’s always excited to share everything he’s excited about with me. It’s as if he’s experiencing it for the very first time. His wonder and amazement never dies, regardless of how many times he’s seen it – even if it’s several times during the same day.
And I’ve discovered that it has started to rub off on me. How long this has been going on, I don’t know. It’s just come to my attention recently and I was surprised. It made me realize I’ve been so busy pouring into him, meeting his needs and taking care of him that I failed to see how much he’s poured into me.
This relationship isn’t a one-way street – although sometimes it feels that way because of all the physical things I still need to do to help him. But if I take the time to examine my life, I can easily see how much he’s taught me. Finding joy in the ordinary is definitely one of those things. And that’s why I’m wondering if I would enjoy the rain as much if Caleb wasn’t such a joy magnet.