My destination is no longer a place, but rather a new way of seeing.
This quote by Marcel Proust can lead all of us in a totally different direction in life if we let it. Austin is 28 years old and having a difficult time deciding which direction to take in life. So, he is now in the process of discovering how magnificent and awesome he really is. How? He is seeing his physician regularly. He is going to take speech and occupational therapy and will have behavioral counseling. He is going to have genetic testing done to find out what may be causing him to be slow to learn. Because his sight isn't the only thing that's obstructing his view of who he can be once he overcomes his fears of making mistakes, of not always making right choices, of not having the knowledge to do regular work, of not being able to learn quickly enough.
We all make mistakes and make wrong choices, but Austin thinks this isn't an option. In reality, though, it's part of daily life, and it's how we learn and grow. And none of us go into any new job knowing how to do everything. But we can take the first step, which is show up and the next step, which is to be open to learning and not thinking we have to know everything about the job, and then being repetitive until we remember the steps to complete the job. And before we know it, we may be teaching people a few things because of the mistakes we make along the way or our desire to improve anything about the job. Sometimes, a mistake may be the shorter route to completing the task that nobody had thought of before. I call this a "happy accident".
Austin's current physician is opening my eyes to the possibilities that his pediatrician declined to help me with when he was a child. Even the assistant at his current lawyer's office (who is helping him file for disability) thought this was going to be a waste of time. I hope the state will eventually see Austin's struggles as something they are willing to help him with. But my other goal is for Austin to see his possibilities and to have ambitions and to motivate others as he works through some of his struggles.
He has so many things to offer others such as his ability to brighten anyone's day who sees him when we're out and about. People who don't know Austin adore him. They are instantly drawn to his genuine charm and kindness. He has a warm smile. He offers only kind words. He doesn't judge anyone. He is extremely quiet but will speak when spoken to. I truly love when he is willing to start a conversation with me. But usually I have to prompt him with a question.
So, the end result is that Austin may not be able to learn more quickly, but he will be comfortable with that. He may still be slow in speech, but he may be more confident to speak more clearly and in a tone that people will be able to hear him. He may be able to balance himself better when standing or sitting. I don't know if he'll ever be able to drive or be able to work 40 hours a week. But I hope he will be able to work some during the week and make new friends. And learn more about himself than ever before.
Our prayer for you is that you find this kind of peace in your life as well. Because everyone is struggling with something.
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