Don´t be weird…

Having a kid with SPD can be terrible , can be exasperating and  truly exhausting. I’m one of the lucky people whose kid is extremely high functioning, so much that we wouldn’t have actually reached to a diagnosis if it wasn’t because I know a girl in high school whose kid has it and I read a couple of articles and the symptoms sounded like my daughter in low scale. Since I am fortunate I can take it easy some days. Some other days I find myself screaming my head off and some others I simply go through life.

My daughter had her valentines activity at school yesterday. This activity had been building up for two whole weeks. The kids got the name of the person that was their “Secret Friend/Pen Pal” (like your secret Santa kind of thing).  For my daughter, who is in 1st grade, was a girl who was in 6th grade. They wrote each other a letter every day during two whole weeks. My daughter came from school every day with a great letter, a lof of creativity involved and, usually, my daugther would send a pretty but not creative letter. We helped her to make more creative envelopes or drawings, depending on what she was going for that day.

The last day, the 14th, Valentine’s day, they were going to meet, exchange letters and a chocolates and finally have a face to face conversation. It was exciting and something to look forward to. Me and my husband were excited for our kid but also trying to find a way to tell her “Please don’t be weird.” My daughter, she is fantastic, she has a kind heart, she is very, very intelligent, she can tell a story like few can, but she can be weird and awkward and sometimes it’s difficult for her to follow social conventions. Her front teeth, still baby teeth, are discolored because she used her pacifier for way too long ( 5 years) and sometimes she talks about what she likes as if the other person had been following her train of thought. So “Don’t be weird” was something we wanted to say without sounding mean  or cruel.

After thinking it a lot we went for “Be nice to her,” “Let her talk,” and “She might not know your favorite shows,” and with that we dropped her off at the school.

When we picked her up (me and my husband, we work together so we picked the kids up together from school) I stayed in the car as my husband went for her. I saw them walking down towards the car and I immediately knew what had happened. My daughter stood right outside the car window with her hand stretched.

husband: “Show mom…” he said as he pulled her hand.

Me: “Did you get married?” I asked as I saw a very sparkling and very fake ring on her hand.

daughter: ” yes” she said smiling from ear to ear.

I laughed outloud and nooded “Get in the car,” I said.

There were pretend weddings that the older kids were charging for to get money for their graduation. She went and got married to a kid that is in her class.

I looked at my husband and he had a weird smile.

Me: “Do yo hate it?” I asked

husband: “No, I don´t hate it” he says still with a weird smile.

Me: “It’s a good thing, you know?” I said as I drove down the street to go get my 2 year old kid.

husband: “I know it is,” he said and turned to see me “we were worried about her making friends but if someone wants to marry you that means that you are going to be alright” he said with almost tears in his eyes.

I just nodded and looked ahead. That’s true, her wedding ring meant that she belongs.

I have no idea if she acted weird when she met her 6th grade pen pal but who cares? she got married!!! Someone asked her to get married! That was enough for us.

That’s all for now.

See you around, everybody!