LOST
AT THE LODGE
By
Leia Holley
The sound of
rushing water
and laughter
echo throughout
the Lodge, my
guide two steps
ahead of me,
takes a quick
turn towards the
rushing water
and begins his
climb toward the
top of the
structure.
He turns to
motion for me to
follow, yet
can't hear my
pleas for him to
wait.
Now he is lost.
I can't follow
him! I am not
wearing the
appropriate
gear.
I cannot lose
sight of him.
He needs me.
My guide is "not
from here", he
doesn't
understand the
language. He
needs me to
navigate the
torturous
terrain. He
needs me to
interpret for
him.
I watch
helplessly as he
climbs closer to
the top. The
?natives? are
unaware of his
inability to
understand their
attempts to
communicate.
I pace, my eyes
frantically
darting from him
and scanning the
Lodge in search
of anyone who
can help. Where
are they?
Wait, does he
need me?
That's him at
the top,
standing among
the ?natives?
waiting. He
steps in, sits
down and waits.
They are telling
him to ?go?, yet
he waits. Then
one of the
smaller ones
reaches out and
pushes him and
he disappears.
The water rushes
and time drags
as an eternity
passes, he
reappears at the
base of the
structure
grinning from
ear to ear.
He steps from
the long red
water slide and
my son skips
back to the Club
House
structure.
I try to breathe
as I watch my
son rejoin the
other children
and they climb
towards the
slides.
I struggle to
fight back tears
as my son's
world expands
and he proudly
struts toward
the entrance of
the red water
slide.
Children are
laughing as they
play water games
with their
parents. People
surround me
celebrating the
joys of
childhood.
Yet, I stand at
the base of this
magnificent
structure having
received the
most incredible
Mother's Day
gift from my
eleven year old
son.
No one seems
aware of the
marvelous gift
and the
tremendous
obstacles this
amazing young
man has overcome
to reach the
top. In his
short eleven
years our family
has navigated
more medical and
educational
mazes than most
people will in a
lifetime.
Autism nor any
other disability
stood in Sean's
way that day as
he conquered the
structure and
became a member
of the Club
House.
He was and is
just another kid
who wanted to
slide. He found
a way to get
others to help
when he needed a
push to go down
the slide.
My mind races as
I wonder; how
many times have
I actually held
him back?
If I had been
wearing the
appropriate
gear, my
swimsuit, at
that instant
would I have
?disabled? my
son by
hovering? Not
letting go?
Sean wasn't lost
at the Great
Wolf Lodge.
He was found.
I found a
native, a child,
searching for
ways to show
others that 'I
am a kid'.
"Let me play"!
