My son, Gabriel, is a devious little imp.
He possesses a singularity of mind, a unique driven focus that allows him to get away with pretty much any scheme he can concoct.
In our backyard, there is a large trampoline. Gabriel loves to jump on the trampoline, he’d stay on it all day if we allowed him to. But occasionally, the time to jump has past, and it is time to come inside. Gabriel and I often disagree as to when that time should come. However, I am bigger than he is, and can usually throw him over my shoulder to bring him inside.
This is does sit well with Gabriel, and so he begins to put his plan into motion. You see, Gabriel is quite clever. Almost disturbingly so. Through a long set of trials and errors, he has determined a series of facts. He knows that Daddy will come running if he hears a loud crash at the other end of the house. He knows that Daddy will come through the main hallway, instead of the side route through the kitchen. He knows that Daddy will spend at least a few seconds scanning the room, looking for signs of injury. And lastly, but most importantly, he knows that the front door will be unguarded during that time.
And so he waits for me to get comfortable in my chair, and then climbs behind his dresser. He pushes, with his back against the wall, and the large heavy dresser topples, making a terrible noise. Immediately, he ducks into the kitchen, narrowly missing Daddy as he comes down the hallways to investigate. He slips into the living room via the kitchen entrance, unlocks the front door, and is outside. By the time Daddy realizes that he’s been duped, Gabriel has run around the side of the house, scaled the fence, and is back jumping on the trampoline just in time to giggle at Daddy as he comes out the back door.
It does not matter that Daddy will simply pick him up again and carry him inside. In fact, at this point he will willingly and of his own determination walk back inside himself. Because he won. HE decided when it was time to come inside, and made a fool of Daddy in the process.
As our regular readers know, Gabriel has Autism, and enough has been said on that subject here that I will not rehash it. Instead of talking about Gabriel’s ‘condition,’ I’d like to talk today about who he is outside of that diagnosis. And on that topic, I’d like to rehash what I stated at the beginning. My son, Gabriel, is a devious little imp.
He is also the most affectionate child I have ever met. Anyone who has ever met Gabe has been on the receiving end of genuine, heartfelt hug. Most do not escape his grasp without a big wet kiss as well. He loves to be held, and he shows a certain empathy and compassion for others in this, because he assumes that everyone else does as well. He goes out of his way to make sure you know that he loves you, regardless of how long he has known you. Without ever making eye contact, he will find you and sit in your lap, cuddling against your chest. He appreciates physical contact, and he assumes you do as well.
If you ever do manage to make eye contact with him, you immediately notice a fierce intelligence behind those twinkles. His mind never rests. He is constantly scanning the room, marking the exits, looking for people that will and will not let him get away with his tricks. If you are eating something that he likes, you’d better guard it well, because the second you set it down, he will be keenly aware.
Gabriel loves to eat and drink, he loves to run, and he loves to laugh.
I think we all could learn a lot from him.
Happy Birthday, Gabriel. Daddy loves you.
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