“How’s He Doing?”

I remember when Gage was young, I’d often get asked “How’s he doing?” I still get this question quite a bit.  It’s encouraging to know that friends and family are interested in how things are going for Gage and care about what’s going on in his life. But I can’t help but feel like sometimes it’s a loaded question.

It’s taken me some time to figure out how to respond. Are these well-meaning people asking what kind of day he’s having, if he’s in a good mood? Or are they getting at something more? Sometimes those three words are accompanied by a concerned look, a sympathetic smile, a slow nod. Times like that leave me wondering if the inquisitive person is more curious about Gage’s medical prognosis, his latest challenges, or any new milestones we can check off our list. I might be reading way too much into a simple question.

No matter what the intent, I LOVE when people express interest in my son. He’s so lucky to have so many people in his life as cheerleaders and fans! So if there’s ever anything you want to know, feel free to ask away! When I was pregnant with Gage, my mom wrote me a letter and in it gave me some wonderful advice. She said that in raising her own children, she missed opportunities to brag on her kids in an effort to be humble. Her advice was for me to do it differently. At that point, of course she had no idea all the challenges Gage would face. But her words have stuck with me as a reminder to not focus on the things Gage can’t do, but to brag about all the amazing things he CAN and celebrate those accomplishments, no matter how small.

This weekend I had the opportunity to do just that. I attended a wedding in my hometown and ran into several people we don’t see very often. So many of them had seen a video I had posted earlier in the week of Gage taking steps in a gait trainer, which you can see here. When people told me how impressed they were, I got to share in their excitement and beam with pride in my son.

Last Wednesday afternoon, we had a chance to check out some different models of gait trainers. The rep brought 3 different versions.  When I first took a glance at the various options, I was sure Gage would need all the support he could get. One model was pretty bare bones and I couldn’t imagine Gage being secure enough in it. Boy, did he prove me wrong! We started him out in the most supportive option, and he tolerated it ok, but didn’t do a whole lot. Then we moved him into the bare bones model, the Mustang, and he was much more interested in stepping. The rep told me he could leave behind both options for us to try out for a few days. Since the Mustang was fairly lightweight, I loaded it into my car and we headed to the park.

Some friends of ours were waiting for us at the park—including three energetic boys who were already busy making laps around the playground on their bikes and scooters. I thought it’d be worth a try to get Gage into his own set of wheels. Once I strapped him in and got him centered on the trail, he took off! I was blown away! I couldn’t believe how well he did on what was essentially his first attempt. It was a great reminder to not let my expectations limit him. I have a feeling Gage is going to keep surprising me. So, feel free to ask me how he’s doing anytime. Just be prepared for a proud momma to brag about her amazing son in response.