Making His Way

Making His Way
            It’s graduation season. This year we have friends whose children are graduating from preschool, from elementary school, and middle school. It feels like not so long ago that my sons were graduating from high school, and our older son from college.
            Early life is a series of passages onto the next higher level of education, and often from there to work life, hopefully with some raises and promotions mixed in over the years.
            For my younger son, profoundly affected by autism, college was not an option. Once he aged out of the school system, his options were limited, yet he still moves forward in his own way.
            There was a time when Sean was so overwhelmed by sensory and neurological input that just getting him out from under his blanket and out of his room was a major success. Teen years can be especially daunting for autistic kids, and we spent those years helping Sean get back out in the world after extreme challenges isolated him.
            Seeing images of Sean hiking on a trail in a beautiful place always reminds me of how far we have come since the years of being trapped at home. Though he does not go to college or practice a profession, participating in activities in his program for people with disabilities is still a huge achievement for Sean considering how difficult it was for him to engage with the world.
            May we all be thankful for the victories we have in life, however different they may look for different people. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives is: Phyllis Ellman Trail to Ring Mountain, a lovely, grassy inclined trail that leads up to the unique terrain of Ring Mountain in Tiburon.
 
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This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 63: Phyllis Ellman Trail to Ring Mountain