Whatever he puts his mind to...

Tonight was the middle school band concert. J is in sixth grade -- his first year in the band. His first year to pick up an instrument. Steve and I had worried about how to introduce him to the instrument that he wanted to play. J has a brachial plexus shoulder injury from birth. It limits the motion of his right arm above his head. Over the years, since he was born, he had shown great progress -- from not being able to move his arm at all after he was born to now -- he has relatively free movement of his right hand in front of him, and upwards until it reaches above his head. His arm can only move higher if he lifts it.

Worrying about how he is going to approach a problem has often been a concern of ours. We wondered when he was a toddler how to teach him to use a pez dispenser. We thought of every way in the world to try to show him how to hold it and dispense a piece of candy. Finally we just gave it to him. No problems. Out popped the candy.

We wondered about the trumpet, until we just handed it to him. No problems.

Determination. He can do anything he decides he wants to do. And isn't that a wonderful thing to realize about your son?