Josiah's Journey

I wonder if we will ever get past this phase of Tag Team parenting. Lately, it has become the ONLY way we get through anything that includes Josiah. Except for Church. God bless the wonderful REACH volunteers at our church. They have a heart for special needs children. Volunteers watch children with disabilities so parents can attend church. Every Sunday, Rick and I know we will be able to worship together. Josiah is well cared for in his own service while we go to ours.

We used to have to go separately. Rick would go to one service and I would stay home with Josiah. Then I would meet Rick halfway and drop Josiah off to him. They would go home. I would go to church with the other kids. We never got to worship together as a family. Not until now. What a blessing.

Other than an hour each week at church, we have become Tag Team parents. We swap Josiah back and forth. We pass him between us like a baton in a relay race. It divides us. It creates disharmony between what should be a unified family. It’s the only way to survive at this point.

We took the entire family to an outdoor theatre Saturday night. We had seats near the stage. We were excited to see a light show, set to music, in the dark. We figured Josiah would love it. He loves music. He loves lights. The dark doesn't bother him. Perfect outing for our family.

Wrong. Josiah hated it. He screamed. And screamed. And screamed some more. We tried feeding him popcorn. We tried giving him chips. We tried whispering softly in his ear. He screamed anyway.

At one point Josiah grabbed an aluminum water bottle from the cupholder directly behind my chair. He hurled it at the elderly lady sitting behind us. It hit her right in the stomach. She was stunned. I was apologetic. I was embarrassed. I was done with Josiah being at the light show. It was time to go. Rick fought his way through the crowded seats wrestling with Josiah who was yelling and kicking. They spent the first half of the show in the van.

At intermission we passed the baton. I joined Josiah in the van. Rick joined the rest of the family in the seats. He enjoyed the second half of the show. Funny thing is Josiah was perfectly content sitting in his seat in the van. It was dark. There was music. The only difference? There were no lights.

Yesterday at Easter dinner we tag teamed again. Josiah would not even walk in the door of my friend’s house. He's been there before. He knows the family well. We thought it would be fine. It wasn't. He began screaming as we walked up the side walk. He refused to go in the door. Rick spent the first half of Easter dinner, sitting in the back yard, with Josiah. I spent the second half of Easter dinner, sitting in the back yard, with Josiah.

I wonder. Is this how it’s going to be for the rest of our lives? If so, we may need a few more members on our relay team.