It's the Little Things in Life We Should Be Thankful For

I became a stay at home parent almost six years ago when my son Nicholas was born. It wasn't what I had planned to do. I never wanted to be a stay at home mom, ever. After being home with him for three months on maternity leave I realized there was no way I could return to work. When he was only eight months old I found out I was pregnant with my daughter Alex. I was sure we had made the right decision at that point considering we were having two kids so close together. I always assumed that once both kids were in school I'd go back to work at least part-time doing something I really enjoyed.

Well, a little over a year ago an opportunity fell into my lap and I wasn't able to say no. It took a lot of adjusting around of our routine and schedules to make it work, but we did it. The only hard part about it was that I felt like I never got to see the kids. They had preschool from 9-12 and I had to be at work at noon and didn't get home until close to five. It was nice though to get that break from being just a mom from time to time. Previous to getting pregnant I had worked in a residential treatment facility for children who were mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed. I also had done some work in a group home some years back with some developmentally delayed adults. So when I was offered a position job coaching an autistic male it was hard to say no. Even though I hadn't really planned on going back to work just yet, I really wanted to do this. I accepted the position and we settled into our new routine.

I was a bit nervous beginning work because I hadn't been around adults for so long I wasn't sure I'd know how to act. The staff was all very nice and I settled in very quickly and felt comfortable faster then I imagined possible. Most of my days were spent just working with Jay so I really didn't have to deal with many people besides him and the other floor staff members. Jay and I quickly settled into a routine. He knew I meant business and I was able to guide and direct him in a manner that was beneficial to everyone. After just a short while Jay became one of the highlights to my days. I knew if I was having a horrible morning as soon as I got work I'd be fine. I knew as soon as I walked into the room I was going to be greeted with a very warm "Hi Amber!" There were days when I laughed so hard I was literally in tears. Jay didn't realize he could say something so innocent and make me smile.

After only five months we were losing our sitter and I had to quit my job. I didn't feel like it was fair to my kids to put them through a new sitter, etc. so we decided it was best for me to just quit. I was a bit sad because I had really enjoyed what I was doing and the adult interaction was a plus! A month or so after I quit working I had lunch with Jay's mom. She asked me if I'd like to start picking Jay up from work everyday and take him home and get him settled. If it was nice out we were welcome to stay and swim that afternoon. This was an easy way for me to make a little money and help them out so I said sure. I'm glad I said yes because Jay has been a huge blessing in our lives. I'm sure he has no idea at all, but on the worst days he makes me smile. You never know what he might say and there are times when it's almost as if he knows what he should be saying in that moment!