Gliding at a Slow, Steady Pace

The small, often unnoticed, and seemingly insignificant accomplishments are the ones we celebrate the most in our household. Noah has his own time-line for progress, which often does not match the fast-paced world. As he grows older, the gap between him and his peers has also grown. I expected this, but it doesn't make it any easier to witness.

This weekend, we embraced another opportunity for growth and progress. We went ice skating at a small lake located near our house. Winterfest in Kohler was in full swing, and there were a number of people on the lake, although it was not overly crowded. The weather conditions were perfect.

Noah was skeptical at first, and needed adults on each side to hold him up. Placing all of his 112 pound frame onto the arms of Brian and one of our in-home therapists, he slowly entered the skating area. He did not allow them to let go, panicking each time one of the adults even suggested trying on his own. Needless to say, both adults were pretty sore the next day!

On a positive note, when we returned on Sunday, Noah was courageous enough to try a few glides on his own without the help of an adult on each arm. His smile, and proud exclamation, "I did it!" just melted my heart. I could not be prouder.




Small, baby steps. Slow, steady progress. These are the things that get celebrated in our lives, daily. Noah is not a child that will ever make leaps and bounds in a short amount of time. Encouraging and praising those simple accomplishments are what keep him going. His smiles, and perseverence are what keep me going. I will continue to embrace every small step.....