Brave

I don’t think I’ve said enough how proud I am of Sam. As much of a hassle as it’s been for me to drive, nag and skip our frozen yogurt dates, he’s been the one doing all the work. He’s given up countless hours of video games; stopped drinking milk; listened to the craziest music ever; sat in the back seat of my car for hours each week driving back and forth; worked his hardest in all his sessions; and most of all allowed himself to be pushed out of his comfort zone.

We all have places we rest that are safe. We know we could do better but we hover in the familiar corner because it feels like home. I have always been terrified of talking to large groups (hard to believe since I don’t shut up with a keyboard in front of me!). In college, Public Speaking was offered and I considered taking it but was too intimidated. Of course, it’s exactly what I needed but I was so scared that I avoided it. Deciding to send Sam to Brain Balance is comparable to requiring me to take that class. I would have been pissed. I would have resisted and stomped my feet. But Sam didn’t. He obliged and went down the path willingly. Happily it has led him to a place filled with confidence, pride and impressive success.

In addition to being blown away by his strength and pliability, I cannot get over the strides Sam is making in school.  There are all the social leaps that just keep coming one after the other – saying Happy belated Mother’s Day to Mrs. Holland unprompted on Monday, starting up a relevant chat with an old teacher who says he didn’t initiate a conversation ever in the whole year she taught him, loving playing Four Square, making new friends, the list goes on and on.

And now, we’re starting to see cognitive improvements too. He has always been a solid reader. He learned early and enjoys books. What held him back on testing was his comprehension. But now, it’s starting to soar. He can actually process what he’s reading and according to testing done this week, he is somewhere in the 4^th – 5^th grade reading level.  What’s even more exciting is that he’s more comfortable talking about what he knows. Here’s a snippet from today’s Mrs. Holland email:

I read with him again today and it is so much more than just his comprehension. Not only am I not prompting him; he goes on in detail and answers smoothly and completely. He uses the characters names more than not. I know that sounds strange, but he used to have more trouble finding the words and his answers came out in more of a choppy way.

And there’s growth outside of school too. On Wednesday, he had his first class with a Fitness Trainer in town named Delon. Sam signed up for semi-private lessons with his friend Danny who is equally klutzy and uncoordinated. The class was an hour. They jumped rope. They skipped. They had so much fun. It was hard but they all laughed a lot and struggled through. Afterwards, instead of wanting to run to his one hour of video games, he opted for a play date at Danny’s. When I finally got him home, he didn’t want to go inside. Instead he asked to play basketball in the driveway. By now you know, this is atypical and a very welcome deviation from his norm.

So here’s the real question: does watching Sam’s bravery and the strides it’s leading him to make me wish I took that class? I wish I could say yes. But no way. It would have scared the pants off me. And I’ve found a way to speak to whoever wants to listen without ever opening my mouth. But shhhhhh. Don’t tell Sam that he’s braver than his mommy.