Belly Laughs and Tears

I became friends with a young boy during our two days at camp.  Our friendship started when I was wheeling him somewhere and decided to have fun and make car sounds and weave back and forth as if I was racing (this was as much for my entertainment as his).  Later in the day, during some free time, I started racing him (slowly) down a hill to keep him from asking about his mother so that she could get a break.  Each time we went down the hill, he exclaimed “again”.  Soon we had two or three kids in a row having a slow-motioned race down the hill.  He is an extremely intelligent boy, but has very little controlled movement in his lower extremities.  At one point he was at the top of the hill with only English speakers and decided to start the race himself by saying “One, Two, Three” loudly in English, which his mother had been teaching him. 

One thing that made him laugh, harder than I have seen most people laugh, was when he did something slightly mischievous.  At one point I told him to say something to someone and he responded back “I’m won’t say it” and then started laughing hysterically.  When we took a picture and told him to smile, he said “I won’t smile” and then he laughed once again.  At one point he grabbed my finger and wouldn’t let go and I pretended that I couldn’t rip it from his grasp without a lot of hard work.  When I finally got my finger free, he laughed and said “again”.  His laughter grew louder and louder until the entire room was watching us play our game, which he never grew tired of.  I hope that I will always remember to enjoy the small pleasures in life as he taught me to do.  

On the last evening, we decided to do a craft with the children, that they could give to their mothers as a gift.  I sat him down straddling a large brown roll and then sat behind him.  He was doing a great job balancing and one of the other kids needed help, so I got up and after making sure he was still balanced well, went to help get the other child into her seat.  I kept checking on him and he seemed to be doing a great job sitting without any need for help.  A few minutes later, when my back was turned, I heard the sound of his head hitting the ground.  It was one of those moments that you dread, as I felt like I had deserted him and left him to hurt himself.  I quickly scooped all 60 pounds of him into my arms and carried him (as he silently screamed) towards his mother.  About 1/2 way there he finally let out a horrible scream and I tried to explain that I was sorry that I hadn’t watched him better to his mother.  She gave him a lollipop and comforted him and he settled down.  Once he settled down, I apologized again and asked to take him back with promises of not leaving his side.  Although there was originally some fear in his eyes, he was willing to trust me and leave his mother again.  We did our craft together and he was later able to give it to his mother as a present. 
I was thankful for both his and his mother’s forgiveness and the second chance to care for him. 

His laughter still rings in my head as I think about the last several days.  How amazing to be able to laugh and enjoy life, when you are so limited by what you are able to do and at many times can only watch life go on around you.  How often due I grumble, when comparably I have nothing to grumble about.