Happy

I need to tell you about Kyle. I don't usually use full names and have code words for my family. You will hardly ever see any reference to friends' names except initials. I delete comments that use names. But I need to let you know what joy is and can be.

Kyle is one of the youth in our group at church. He is there almost every Sunday. He smiles and is happy almost all the time. But he is also a little different. I'm not sure of the diagnosis, but I think autism, or even Aspergers would be appropriate. What I do know, is that Kyle makes me happy.

He needs a little extra help, but is actually very self suficient. We do ask if he wants a snack. I can tell he does when he starts to wander over to the snack table and stands there a minute. Although we have told him he can get his own, he usually waits for us to help him with his plate. If you ask him if he wants this or that, he'll tell you yes or no. And the boy can eat, let me tell you what.

He plays piano. He is very good. He played for us one night. He didn't like the noise of the cheers and clapping, but he liked the praise. His smile was ear to ear. Of course, he was covering those ears, but he was still smiling.

I tell you about Kyle because we had our youth party tonight. We had a water slide, obstacle course, water balloons, pie eating contest, and slime tug of war. We had a bunch of new kids that had been invited by our youth. We had lots going on, lots of noise, and lots of fun. But the highlight of my night was Kyle. He almost would not come off the water slide. Hubby took him up the first time, just to help make him comfortable. It was a two laner, so hubby was in one lane, Kyle in the other. The sound of Kyle's laughter filled the air as he slid and turned and landed in the pool at the bottom. His feet touched the ground and he was up the stairs again. And down the slide again. He did stop to eat, but was right back at it. He even ran the obstacle course with a couple of our teens. And won I might add. Then back to the slide. We stopped at one point to have sundaes. He ate his, and right back on the slide. I have never seen him move so fast. Pure, unadulterated joy shone on his face. He was beautiful.

His mother could not believe that he had gone down the slide. She couldn't believe that he had the best time on it. She was so happy that her son, her special boy, had even gotten on the slide. She radiated as much joy about that news as Kyle did when he was on the slide. Joy in it's simplest form. I am blessed to have been there. I am blessed to know Kyle. I am blessed.

Have a great day.