jongibbs

My son, that's who.

Years ago, back when we lived in England, I met with his pre-school teacher for the usual 'Come see how your kids are settling in after the first few months' chat. She told me she'd given the class an assignment to write a letter to Santa.

When it came to his turn to talk about what he'd requested, he said, 'I asked him to make my sisters better.' I don't mind admitting I got quite choked up when she told me.

He's seventeen months older than my twin daughters, both of whom are severely autistic. In the years since then, I've often admired his patience and understanding, especially when they tore his artwork or generally scratched, ruined or broke his belongings. Only once have I seen him get upset about what they'd done. He had what we still refer to as 'The Argus Filch moment' (if you know the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which Filch demands retribution for his petrified cat, you'll know what I'm talking about), which we often laugh about together.

He's eighteen now, studying at The College of New Jersey. I'm picking him up for the winter break this afternoon, which is probably why I found myself thinking about him a lot this morning. He's a grand lad, and excellent company. Senior Management and I are looking forward to having him home for a few weeks.

It's funny, no matter how old he gets, no matter how grown up he becomes, part of me will always see him as the little boy who wanted Santa to make his sisters better.

How about you?

Got any 'Proud Parent' moments you'd like to share?